SituationLiving fileNorth Korea's October missile salvogeopolitics
North Korea reportedly fired around a dozen ballistic missiles into the East Sea on October 29
As of 29 Oct · daily
Every day on file
Last report 2 days ago1 day from the Daily, newest first. The latest is open here with their pictures and numbers; earlier days open in their Daily.
Thu, 29 Oct 2026 · day's report → rising, fast pace
North Korea reportedly fired around a dozen ballistic missiles into the East Sea on October 29
North Korea has for decades pursued nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles despite international sanctions, while South Korea and the United States maintain a close security alliance. Periodic missile tests are used by Pyongyang to signal capability and pressure, and they raise the risk of miscalculation on the peninsula with implications for Northeast Asia and beyond.
- 29 Oct
Assessment and what changed · the full read, since yesterday
A single outlet reported on Oct 29 that North Korea fired around a dozen ballistic missiles into the East Sea, but we have no researched confirmation, trajectory, or impact details. If confirmed, a salvo of that size would be a sharp step up from the two-missile and cruise-missile tests earlier in October, though uncertainty remains high until allied militaries confirm.
Numbers and actors · statistics, flows and rates
Who they are · size
Balance sheet · debt, budget, current account, reserves
Annual statistics: latest year on record for each figure (IMF figures for this year are estimates), bars on one scale per column, line = the last ten years. Tap an actor for every year, rank, energy, ranked trade and sources. All actors →
Outlook, watch list and background
- Confirmation and details from South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, Japan Ministry of Defense, or US Indo-Pacific Command on number, type, range and flight path
- North Korean state media (KCNA) statement on purpose or systems tested
- Any allied military or UN Security Council response, airspace or maritime warnings in the East Sea
- 12 Oct 2026On Oct 12, 2026 North Korea fired two ballistic missiles from the Pyongyang area toward the East Sea at about 09:20 KST; at least one flew more than 900 km. Most recent confirmed ballistic salvo before the reported Oct 29 salvo; provides baseline for scale and range. dw.com ↗
- 14 Oct 2026On Oct 14, 2026 North Korea test-fired two types of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles in the East Sea. Shows parallel track of sea-based cruise-missile development alongside ballistic tests this month. en.yna.co.kr ↗
- 3 Oct 2026On Oct 3, 2026 North Korea tested a hypersonic intermediate-range missile claimed to use AI-assisted maneuverability to evade defenses. Earlier October test of advanced maneuverable missile that frames the month's accelerated testing tempo. aljazeera.com ↗
Background in 60 seconds
written 29 OctNorth Korea keeps one of the world's largest submarine fleets, estimated at 64 to 86 boats including Sang-O coastal, Romeo and Yugo/Yono mini boats plus Sinpo-class ballistic-missile submarines, though experts doubt all are operational because of age. It develops cruise and ballistic missiles that can be launched from submarines, which are harder to track than land-based systems. Russia has become a key military partner, hosting thousands of North Korean soldiers and providing technical support for Shahed-type drone production in North Korea. That linkage ties the peninsula's military balance to the wider contest involving Russia, Ukraine, South Korea and the United States, where a weapon launched from underwater is harder to warn against and raises risks of miscalculation.
Who is doing what to whom
1 actor in play; no relations recorded yet.
- North Korea 1 mention
North Korea, by the numbers
Every bar in a row is on that row's one scale. Latest year available for each figure; sources on each actor's page.
3 states involved
Open one to see everything else it is part of.
Attacks reported
attack log →≥ 568 events in or near its main states, last 30 days reported by the sources; the strongest are listed. No source sees every attack.
- 2026-10-30 · Armed clash · Kherson, Khersons'ka Oblast', Ukraine · GDELT ↗ · machine-coded
- 2026-10-30 · Armed clash · Pyongyang, P'yongyang-si, North Korea · GDELT ↗ · machine-coded
- 2026-10-30 · Armed clash · Pyongyang, P'yongyang-si, North Korea · GDELT ↗ · machine-coded
- 2026-10-30 · Armed clash · Pyongyang, P'yongyang-si, North Korea · GDELT ↗ · machine-coded
On the record (4)
4 statements, newest first
South Korean government · Government, South Korea · 20 Octparaphrase The arrangement to transfer the two North Korean POWs had been private and had been initiated by Ukraine itself
Volodymyr Zelensky · President, Ukraine · 20 Octparaphrase Kyiv had handed over two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea
- Yoon Ji-wan · charge d'affaires at the South Korean Embassy in Ukraine · 18 Oct
“We had no discussions on a timeline for disclosure, but we did share the idea that confidentiality should be maintained for as long as possible,”
- Yoon Ji-wan · charge d'affaires at the South Korean Embassy in Ukraine · 18 Oct
“The repatriation of the POWs is a major achievement for both nations,”
A statement shows what was said, not that it is true. The whole record →
Where it's heading
Daily reports that covered it
Rebuilt 2026-10-29, and again as new reports land.