Published: 14:06, March 14, 2026
ROK military: DPRK fires unidentified projectile eastward
By Xinhua
This picture taken on March 10, 2026 and released by Democratic People's Republic of Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) via KNS on March 11, 2026 shows a strategic cruise missile test launch conducted on the destroyer Choe Hyon at an undisclosed location in DPRK. (PHOTO/ KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)

SEOUL – The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired an unidentified projectile eastward, with the exact number yet to be confirmed, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of the Republic of Korea said on Saturday.

The JCS is currently analyzing the specifications and range of the projectile.

The DPRK fired a ballistic missile into the eastern waters on Jan 27. If the latest launch is confirmed to be a ballistic missile, it would mark the third launch this year.

The projectile firing came as the ROK and the United States were conducting joint military exercises, called Freedom Shield, scheduled to continue for 11 days through March 19.

Seoul and Washington have insisted that the joint drill is defensive in nature, but the DPRK has denounced it as a dress rehearsal for northward invasion.