South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff reported on January 4, 2026, that North Korea launched a ballistic missile which flew over 900 kilometers and could have landed in the East Sea, according to Yonhap News during the reporting window from 12:16 a.m. to 3:16 a.m. UTC. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command stated it was aware of the missile launches and was consulting allies, confirming the event posed no immediate threat to U.S. personnel, territory or allies, as posted on X during the 3-hour period. South Korea's Blue Security Office held an emergency meeting on the North Korean ballistic missiles and called for an end to provocations, as announced by Yonhap News in a breaking report within the window. The South Korean reports follow Japan's Defense Ministry announcement earlier on January 4 of a possible North Korean ballistic missile launch, reported at 8:03 a.m. JST and covered in the prior reporting period.
