North Korea Fires SRBM, But State Media Remain Silent
10th Launch This Year
No Report Issued for This Incident
North Korea has launched a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) for the 10th time this year, but attention is focusing on the background of its failure to report the incident as of the following day, August 7.
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the afternoon of the 6th, North Korea fired one SRBM from the Wonsan area into the East Sea. It was the first ballistic missile launch in 42 days since June 25. This launch took place ahead of the South Korea-U.S. combined exercise "Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS)" scheduled for this month. The South Korean and U.S. militaries are currently conducting a detailed analysis of the missile's specifications, including its flight range, altitude, and speed.
North Korea has typically released information about its ballistic missile launches, whether Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, was present, and related photographs the day after the launch through state-run media such as Rodong Sinmun and the Korean Central News Agency. However, as of this morning, no related reports have been published.
There have been previous instances where North Korea launched ballistic missiles but did not disclose the event through official media. In both May 2022 (with ICBM and SLBM launches) and January 2025 (with an SRBM launch), North Korea did not issue a report the following day. At the time, such reticence was attributed to the routine nature of armed demonstrations, the intention to limit propaganda effects, and the possibility of grouping together reports for multiple launches.
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Yang Wook, a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said, "Just because North Korea has not made an announcement does not necessarily mean the launch was unsuccessful or a failure," adding, "They may have simply fired the missile to express their discontent or issue a warning in accordance with the timing of the South Korea-U.S. combined exercises and then chose to stop at that level." He also noted, "It is also possible that this was an interim check as part of the testing process."
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