North Korea fired a volley of rockets from a multiple launcher system on Monday, coinciding with a high-profile visit by the U.S. Defense Secretary to the border with South Korea, marking a pattern of timed provocations amidst regional diplomatic activity.
South Korea’s military reported approximately 10 rockets were launched around 4:00 PM local time on Monday, November 4, toward the North Yellow Sea. The launches occurred less than an hour before U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrived at Camp Bonifas. Hegseth was visiting the Joint Security Area near the Demilitarized Zone alongside South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek.
This recent incident followed another similar launch just two days prior. On Saturday, November 2, North Korea fired another 10 rockets from the same system at approximately 3:00 PM local time. That launch occurred as South Korean President Lee Jae-myung met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Gyeongju. Their discussion took place during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
South Korea’s Defense Ministry stated that while multiple rocket launcher firings do not violate United Nations Security Council resolutions, North Korea’s 240mm systems can reach the South Korean capital of Seoul and its surrounding areas.
This is not the first instance of North Korea timing military demonstrations with significant diplomatic events. In October, Pyongyang launched several short-range missiles roughly a week before then-U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to South Korea, also during an APEC gathering.