Just a few hours before the US presidential election began, North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles into the sea east of the Korean peninsula. The missiles were fired from a province south of Pyongyang. South Korea confirmed the launch but has not released further details. Kim Jong-un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, condemned the recent US-South Korea-Japan trilateral air drills involving B-1B bombers, calling them ‘hostile’ and ‘invasive’. She argued that such actions justified the expansion of North Korea’s nuclear programme. This missile test follows a significant launch on 31 October, when North Korea tested what is believed to be a new intercontinental ballistic missile. South Korean officials had earlier warned that North Korea might engage in provocative actions around the US election, raising regional tensions and global concerns.