Reports on the number of ballistic missiles launched by North Korea on October 29 have diverged between South Korean and U.S. military authorities. As of October 30, South Korean military officials have not determined the reasons behind the differing counts reported by the U.S.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) stated that around 12:30 p.m. on October 29, they detected over ten short-range ballistic missiles launched from the Wonsan area into the East Sea. They emphasized that they are enhancing surveillance and readiness in anticipation of further launches and that South Korea, the U.S., and Japan are closely sharing relevant information.
In contrast, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command reported that North Korea launched two ballistic missiles on October 29 (Korean time). They noted that they are in close consultation with allies and partners regarding the launch and assessed that there is currently no immediate threat to U.S. personnel, territory, or allies.
On October 30, North Korea's Rodong Sinmun published photos showing the launch of over ten 600mm large-caliber multiple rocket launchers. These images support the JCS's assessment that multiple projectiles were detected.
The issue lies in the inability to reconcile the differing missile launch counts between South Korea and the U.S. While variations in detection and classification criteria or evaluation timing could account for discrepancies, it raises concerns about whether effective information sharing is taking place, as both sides should have been able to clarify the reasons for the differences.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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