North Korea's missile test & joint drills heighten Korean Peninsula tensions, challenging regional stability.

Later this week, South Korea plans to test-launch a new "high-power" ballistic missile named Hyunmoo-5.

North Korea has fired three short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan, according to South Korean and Japanese defense officials, who condemned the show of force as a threat to regional stability.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has instructed security officials to “punish” North Korea for any future “provocations,” saying they must not fear Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal following a major security breach earlier this week.

South Korean military has issued an apology to its citizens after failing to shoot down several North Korean drones that crossed over the border earlier this week, acknowledging that the incident stoked fears among the public while vowing a more aggressive response in the future.

North Korea on Tuesday condemned a Japanese military buildup outlined in a new security strategy, calling it dangerous and vowing counteractions, while also warning of another imminent test of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

North Korea has fired an apparent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) toward its East Sea, according to South Korean and Japanese officials, with Tokyo stating the projectile landed in waters within its exclusive economic zone.

South Korea denies arms sale to Ukraine on Friday and rejected a report that it would sell artillery shells for use by Ukrainian forces, claiming the munitions -- if the ongoing deal negotiation is finalised -- will be for US forces only.

South Korean military retrieved North Korean missile debris from a missile the North fired across the two countries' de facto maritime border during a recent blitz of launches.

A senior North Korean defense official said on Tuesday that Pyongyang is not supplying Russia with any weapons and does not intend to do so in future. The statement came after Washington last week accused North Korea of covertly shipping artillery shells to Russia to support its campaign against Ukraine.

North Korea's record year of missile launches has shown its willingness to pour resources into producing and deploying more weapons than ever - and sanctions have done little to hinder their development, analysts say.

The United States believes China and Russia have leverage they can use to persuade North Korea not to resume nuclear bomb testing, a senior U.S. administration official said on Thursday.