Seoul says North Korean missile detectable and interceptable, rebutting Kim Yo-jong

October 4, 2026 at 12:09 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense said on October 4 that the missile North Korea launched the previous day is detectable and interceptable by South Korean and U.S. defense systems. The statement rebutted Kim Yo-jong's claim that the missile evaded tracking through irregular flight. North Korea fired the missile from Wonsan toward the East Sea around 6:30 a.m. on October 3.

Key Facts

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense assessed on October 4 that the North Korean missile is detectable and interceptable by South Korean and U.S. defense systems.
North Korea launched one ballistic missile from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea around 6:30 a.m. on October 3.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff detected the missile's flight distance as more than 700 km, while Japan's Ministry of Defense announced about 680 km.
Kim Yo-jong, director of the General Affairs Department of the Labor Party, claimed the missile applied a wave-like flight trajectory and flew 1,000 km.

South Korean Assessment

The Ministry of National Defense said in a notice to the press that the missile is sufficiently detectable and interceptable with defense assets held by South Korea and the United States. The ministry added that it closely monitored the successive recent missile launches from the preparation stage and detected and tracked the missile immediately after launch, precisely identifying the launch point. The ministry stated that South Korea and the United States are maintaining a firm combined defense posture.

North Korean Claims

North Korea claimed the missile was a hypersonic medium-range strategic missile that flew 1,000 km. Kim Yo-jong claimed the missile applied a wave-like flight trajectory, evading the detection networks of South Korea, the United States, and Japan. Kim said that after the first leap point, they lost the target, and added that there is virtually no way to avoid this strike. She also claimed low-altitude irregular flight and the application of artificial intelligence technology.

International Response

The Ministry of National Defense said North Korea's ballistic missile launch is a grave act that violates U.N. Security Council resolutions. The ministry urged North Korea to immediately stop actions that escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.