South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were fired from Jongju, a city on North Korea’s west coast, and traveled toward the sea. The military did not immediately disclose the number of missiles launched or their flight distances.

Seoul said it had strengthened its surveillance and readiness posture following the launches and was closely coordinating with the United States and Japan on intelligence assessments and monitoring activities.
The test was North Korea’s first known missile launch since April 19, when Pyongyang fired multiple short-range missiles that state media described as part of an exercise involving cluster-bomb warheads.

The latest launch extends a pattern of weapons testing that has intensified as North Korea advances its military modernization programs.
Kim has prioritized the expansion of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal and missile forces since negotiations with then-U.S. President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019 without an agreement on sanctions relief and denuclearization.

Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in reviving direct engagement with Kim. However, North Korea has largely ignored those overtures and has maintained that Washington must abandon demands for unilateral nuclear disarmament before meaningful negotiations can resume.

Relations between Pyongyang and Seoul have also deteriorated sharply. Kim has increasingly characterized South Korea as North Korea’s principal adversary and has moved to sever longstanding channels of inter-Korean cooperation and dialogue.

The missile launches came hours after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for accelerated efforts to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities during a Cabinet meeting. Lee highlighted the importance of investing in artificial intelligence-driven military systems, expanding drone capabilities and examining the potential acquisition of a nuclear-powered submarine.

While Lee did not directly address Tuesday’s missile launches, he emphasized the need for South Korea to demonstrate its ability to safeguard its own security interests. He said a stronger national defense posture would reinforce the country’s alliance with the United States.

The latest test is likely to draw renewed scrutiny from regional security partners as tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain elevated and diplomatic engagement between North Korea and its neighbors shows little sign of revival.

No reason was provided for the abrupt exit of Phelan, the Navy’s top civilian official, whose departure comes at a time of heightened operational activity, including a blockade of Iranian ports and actions targeting vessels linked to Tehran during a fragile ceasefire in the ongoing regional conflict.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the move in a statement, while the administration named Hung Cao, the current undersecretary and a retired Navy captain, as acting secretary. Cao, a former combat officer and political candidate in Virginia, assumes the role immediately.

Phelan’s departure adds to a series of leadership changes under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has removed several senior military figures since taking office last year. Those include Randy George, the Army’s top uniformed officer, as well as earlier dismissals of Lisa Franchetti and Jim Slife.

Charles Q. Brown Jr. was also removed from his post as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.The timing of Phelan’s exit appeared sudden. He had addressed a major Navy conference in Washington a day earlier and held meetings with lawmakers, including members of the House Armed Services Committee, to discuss shipbuilding plans and budget priorities, according to official communications.

Phelan, a private investment executive and founder of Rugger Management LLC, had limited prior government or military leadership experience before his nomination in late 2024. His background included advisory work with Spirit of America, a nonprofit supporting defense-related initiatives in Ukraine and Taiwan.

His tenure coincided with an expanded U.S. naval presence globally. The Navy currently has multiple aircraft carriers deployed or en route to the Middle East, and U.S. forces remain positioned for potential renewed operations should the ceasefire with Iran collapse.

Separately, naval assets have supported counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean and were involved in the January capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.Cao, who succeeds Phelan in an acting capacity, is a Vietnam-born refugee who later graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served in special operations units, including deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia.

He previously ran unsuccessful campaigns for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives in Virginia and has publicly criticized diversity and inclusion initiatives in the military, as well as COVID-19 vaccine mandates imposed on service members.

His appointment comes as the Trump administration continues to recalibrate defense leadership and policy priorities, including a broader rollback of diversity programs across the armed forces.