Key points: North Korea fired about 10 artillery rockets into the northern Yellow Sea, with launches occurring roughly one hour before U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's DMZ visit and minutes before President Lee's meeting with Xi Jinping. The South Korean Joint Chiefs said launches were detected around 3:00 p.m. Saturday and about 4:00 p.m. Monday; intelligence agencies are analysing the projectiles. Hegseth—on the first U.S. defence chief DMZ visit in eight years—warned of a "dangerous security environment," and Seoul announced an 8.2% defence budget increase to 66.3 trillion won.
North Korea Fires About 10 Artillery Rockets Near DMZ Ahead of US Defense Secretary's Visit
Key points: North Korea fired about 10 artillery rockets into the northern Yellow Sea, with launches occurring roughly one hour before U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's DMZ visit and minutes before President Lee's meeting with Xi Jinping. The South Korean Joint Chiefs said launches were detected around 3:00 p.m. Saturday and about 4:00 p.m. Monday; intelligence agencies are analysing the projectiles. Hegseth—on the first U.S. defence chief DMZ visit in eight years—warned of a "dangerous security environment," and Seoul announced an 8.2% defence budget increase to 66.3 trillion won.
15:33, 04.11.2025Security
North Korea launches artillery rockets close to DMZ during high-profile visits
Seoul's military reported that North Korea fired multiple artillery rockets into the northern part of the West Sea (the Yellow Sea), including salvos roughly one hour before U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on Monday.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the launches—about 10 rockets in total—were detected at around 3:00 p.m. local time (0600 GMT) on Saturday and around 4:00 p.m. on Monday. The JCS added that the weapons are being analysed by South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities to determine their exact type and trajectories.
"We recently detected about 10 artillery rockets fired into the northern part of the West Sea," the JCS said.
Hegseth became the first U.S. defence secretary in eight years to visit the heavily fortified border between the Koreas. During his visit he toured Panmunjom—the symbolic truce village where forces from both sides stand face-to-face—and Observation Post Ouellette overlooking the DMZ. He and his South Korean counterpart, Ahn Gyu-back, emphasised a coordinated defence posture.
At a joint news conference, Hegseth warned that South Korea faces a "dangerous security environment," and both ministers said they would remain "clear-eyed about the threats" they confront. Hegseth also said Seoul's planned boost in defence spending would accelerate its ability to lead conventional deterrence and defence efforts against North Korea.
President Lee Jae Myung announced an 8.2% increase in South Korea's defence budget to 66.3 trillion won, the largest rise in six years. (This is roughly equivalent to about $50 billion, depending on exchange rates.)
The reported rocket launches also occurred minutes before President Lee held talks last week with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. South Korea has urged China to help "resume dialogue" with Pyongyang as part of wider efforts to stabilise the region. The incidents followed a period of limited public reaction from Pyongyang to recent diplomatic outreach from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has said he would be willing to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un again.
South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies continue to analyse the projectiles and their implications for regional security. Seoul's defence ministry reiterated the strength of combined U.S.–South Korea cooperation in response to evolving threats.