North Korea Fires Missiles Into Sea of Japan
Pyongyang launched missiles as U.S. midterm polls closed, while its leader's sister dismissed Washington's cryptocurrency theft accusations.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in International Relations
North Korea fired a barrage of missiles into the Sea of Japan, with South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff announcing the launches just after 7 p.m. Washington time on Tuesday. The launches coincided with the closing of U.S. midterm polling stations, and came as Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong-un, issued statements on consecutive days.
Why it matters
The launches add to tensions at a time when U.S.-North Korea talks have been frozen since 2019, despite President Trump's stated interest in renewed negotiations. Kim Yo Jong's remarks rejected the FBI's accusation that North Korean hackers stole roughly $6 billion from the cryptocurrency exchange Binance, framing the case as evidence of hostile U.S. policy.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff reported the launches just after 7 p.m. Washington time on Tuesday, and the FBI alleges roughly $6 billion was stolen from Binance by North Korean hackers. North Korea has not formally answered Washington's renewed interest in talks.
The players
Kim Yo Jong
Sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and director of the General Affairs Department, she has issued prominent public statements on North Korean foreign policy.
Kim Jong-un
Leader of North Korea since 2011, who has held unprecedented talks with President Trump during 2018 and 2019.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The U.S. federal law enforcement agency that accused North Korean hackers of stealing approximately $6 billion from the cryptocurrency exchange Binance.
Joint Chiefs of Staff (South Korea)
South Korea's military command body that monitors North Korean missile tests and announced the latest launches.
The details
Kim Yo Jong, director of the General Affairs Department, issued statements on two consecutive days attacking the FBI's cryptocurrency hacking accusations, calling the case the tip of an iceberg showing U.S. hostile policy. The statements were carried in state media.
Timeline
2018-2019: Unprecedented Trump-Kim talks were held.
2019: U.S.-North Korea talks were frozen.
Saturday before Nov. 4, 2026: FBI accused North Korean hackers of the Binance theft.
Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2026, just after 7 p.m. Washington time: North Korean missile launches were announced.
Nov. 18-19, 2026: APEC Leaders Summit in Shenzhen, China, where Trump and Kim Jong-un could meet.
Season Trajectory
The launches and Kim Yo Jong's statements follow the diplomatic track opened by the unprecedented Trump-Kim talks of 2018-2019, which stalled when U.S.-North Korea talks were frozen in 2019. Whether that track revives may depend on whether the two leaders meet on the sidelines of the APEC Leaders Summit in Shenzhen on Nov. 18-19.
Readers following U.S. foreign policy may track whether the Nov. 18-19 APEC summit produces any Trump-Kim meeting, which would mark a change from the talks that have been frozen since 2019. The cryptocurrency theft allegation may also matter to anyone holding assets on exchanges like Binance.
The takeaway
Diplomatic signals from Pyongyang remain mixed, with missile launches and sharp rhetoric alongside stated openness to talks. Watching whether Trump and Kim meet in Shenzhen will show whether the stalled track from 2019 can be revived.
What happens next
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and President Trump could meet on the sidelines of the APEC Leaders Summit in Shenzhen, China, on Nov. 18-19, 2026.
Further reading
For background on the diplomacy behind these tensions, see International Relations.
