North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits the construction site of a greenhouse farm in Sinuiju on Jan. 2, 2026, in this photo released by the North's state run [North] Korean Central News Agency the following day.SEOUL, January 4 (AJP) - North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the East Sea, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Sunday. The JCS said it detected the launch early in the morning but provided no further details as it analyzes the launch site and missile type.
It was North Korea's first ballistic missile launch this year and came about two months after it fired a short-range ballistic missile on Nov. 7.
The provocation came just hours before President Lee Jae Myung's four-day trip to China for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
It also came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly announced the capture of Venezuela's authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro, along with his wife and son, in a military operation.
Maduro, who has been accused of involvement in illegal cocaine and narcotics trafficking, was reportedly flown to New York to face drug-related charges.
Choi Youn-sun 기자 solarchoi@ajunews.com
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