North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles this October 22, marking the country's first such test in five months. The launches, detected by South Korea’s military from an area south of Pyongyang, come just days before US President Donald Trump’s expected arrival in Gyeongju, South Korea, for bilateral talks ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
The missiles traveled roughly 217 miles (350 kilometers) northeast, though officials did not confirm their landing sites. This test is also the first since South Korean President Lee Jae-myung took office, pledging renewed efforts toward peace on the peninsula.
The timing of the launch appears calculated. Analysts say Pyongyang may be signaling its push for recognition as a nuclear-armed state ahead of the APEC summit, where Trump is unlikely to attend the main conference. Since nuclear talks with Trump collapsed in 2019, North Korea's Kim Jong-un has accelerated weapons development, recently showcasing the Hwasong-20 ICBM—designed to carry multiple warheads—during a military parade. While Kim hinted at renewed diplomacy last month, he continues to demand the lifting of UN sanctions and the abandonment of US denuclearization conditions.
These recent events beg the question: amid growing global uncertainty, which countries hold the biggest nuclear stockpiles? Click on to find out.