North Korea fires second ballistic missile in under a week
North Korea launched a ballistic missile as South Korea and the United States prepare to begin annual military exercises next week, its second weapons test in less than a week. Reports said the launches appear intended as signalling ahead of the drills. Pyongyang's own statement on the launch was not carried in the coverage.
Why it matters
A faster test tempo around allied exercises narrows the margin for misreading launches during a period of heightened activity.
Sources
finite. summarises the reporting above and links to each original. We do not reproduce full articles. Read the sources for complete coverage.
Part of the August 12, 2026 brief.