North Korea launches two ballistic missiles toward the sea and dials up pressure on the US

Published September 20, 2026 11:10am ET | Updated September 20, 2026 11:10am ET



SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea on Sunday, South Korea’s military said, days after the North threatened to bolster its nuclear deterrent capabilities and respond to what it called U.S. hostilities.

The launches were the latest in a series of weapons demonstrations by North Korea even after President Donald Trump scaled back a joint military exercise with South Korea last month in an apparent effort to revive diplomacy with the North’s leader, Kim Jong Un.

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