North Korea fires ballistic missile towards sea after rejecting DMZ landmine apology

North Korea has fired at least one ballistic missile towards its eastern waters, South Korea’s military said on Saturday, hours after Pyongyang rejected demands to apologise for a border landmine blast.

A sudden launch from Wonsan

The missile was launched from the Wonsan area on North Korea's east coast, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. The South Korean military said it is sharing tracking data with the US and Japan to maintain what it described as a "robust defence posture".

The row over the DMZ blast

This latest launch comes after weeks of rising friction over an explosion last month in the Demilitarised Zone, the heavily fortified buffer separating the two nations. Three South Korean soldiers were wounded in the blast.

An investigation by Seoul and the US-led United Nations Command concluded that North Korean soldiers had crossed the border to plant the mines on the South Korean side. South Korean Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul said the devices were likely laid as part of Pyongyang's broader campaign to fortify the border.

North Korea has denied any involvement. Hours before the missile launch, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, released a statement calling the demand for an apology "quite ridiculous". She called South Korea "despicable" and dismissed proposals for talks as a "wild dream and unilateral jargon".

Domestic backlash in Seoul

The escalation is a political blow to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. On Thursday, Lee had publicly urged Pyongyang to return to the negotiating table, and his Unification Minister, Chung Dong-young, proposed border talks on Friday.

Instead, the peace overtures have met with open mockery from Pyongyang. Kim Yo Jong described President Lee's diplomatic efforts as "the climax of the farce".

This has sparked anger within South Korea. The opposition People Power Party accused the president of weakness, arguing that his administration had failed to stand up to Pyongyang. "South Korean soldiers have been injured, and far from receiving an apology, we have been mocked," the party said in a statement. "We fail to see how selectively turning a blind eye to North Korea serves South Korea's dignity or the safety of its people."

A fortified border

The military standoff has deepened since Kim Jong Un designated South Korea as his country's "principal enemy" in 2024. Since then, North Korean forces have been actively laying new landmines and constructing anti-tank barriers along the border.

The instability comes amid shifting international dynamics. Recent diplomatic overtures to Pyongyang by US President Donald Trump have sparked anxiety in Seoul, where officials fear South Korea could be cut out of future security talks. North Korea has also moved closer to its traditional allies, Russia and China, further complicating efforts to isolate the regime.