North Korea Fires Short‑Range Ballistic Missiles Before Party Congress

South Korea’s military and Japan’s Defense Ministry say North Korea launched multiple short‑range ballistic missiles on January 27, 2026 from an area northeast of Pyongyang, with each missile flying about 217 miles before falling into waters off the Korean Peninsula. The tests are North Korea’s first launches since an early‑January hypersonic‑missile trial and follow December tests of long‑range cruise and anti‑air missiles and state media images of a nuclear‑powered submarine under construction. The volley comes days before the ruling Workers’ Party convenes its first full congress in five years, where Kim Jong Un and top officials are expected to set new political and economic priorities even as the U.S. and South Korea seek to restart stalled nuclear talks. Pyongyang has also recently accused Seoul of flying surveillance drones across the border, charges South Korea denies, underscoring a tense security environment for U.S. allies and American forces in the region.