North Korea Missile Test Raises Security Concerns as US Focuses on Iran

International Atomic Energy Agency says it has ‘deep concerns’ about North Korea’s nuclear program.

People sit in front of a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, at a train station in Seoul on Jan. 4, 2026. Jung Yeon-je / AFP via Getty Images

North Korea on April 19 fired ballistic missiles that landed in waters off its east coast, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.

North Korea has conducted multiple short-range ballistic missile tests in 2026, including back-to-back launches of ballistic missiles on April 8. The April 19 action was North Korea’s fourth missile launch this month and the seventh in 2026.