Another North Korean missile test appears to have failed Tuesday. South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported North Korea attempted to launch a Musudan—an intermediate-range ballistic missile—from its east coast, but it likely exploded shortly after it left its mobile launcher, Reuters reported. Three similar tests failed in April. In response to the repeated tests, the United States, Japan, and South Korea will hold a joint missile-defense exercise for the first time in June. “North Korea shows no sign of abandoning the development of nuclear missiles and so we will continue to work closely with the US and South Korea in response and maintain a close watch,” said Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, according to Reuters. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, “The situation on the peninsula remains complex and sensitive” and called on its ally, North Korea, to stop exacerbating that tension, reported Reuters.
Congress Passes $839 Billion Budget for Defense
Feb. 3, 2026
Congress officially passed the fiscal 2026 defense spending bill Feb. 3 after a House of Representatives vote, approving $839 billion in Pentagon funding and sending the package to President Donald Trump for his signature.
