North Korea on Wednesday (August 12, 2026) performed its second ballistic missile test in less than a week, its neighbors said, a likely protest of the upcoming South Korea-U.S. military drills that North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal. It said South Korea remains ready to repel any provocations by North Korea in cooperation with the United States. South Korea's Presidential national security council issued a statement urging North Korea to stop ballistic missile launches, which it said are “acts of provocation” that defy UN Security Council resolutions. Japan's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday (August 12) it also spotted a suspected ballistic missile launch from North Korea. On Aug. 6, South Korea, the U.S. and Japan detected the launch of a short-range ballistic missile from North Korea in what was the North's first ballistic weapons testing activity since late June.