North Korea Missile: This marks Pyongyang’s sixth weapons test this year. (file)
Seoul:
North Korea fired an “unidentified projectile” early Thursday, South Korea’s military said, marking the nuclear-armed country’s sixth weapons test this year.
“North Korea fired an unidentified projectile into the East Sea,” Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, referring to the Sea of Japan.
The last time North Korea tested so many weapons in a month was in 2019, when high-profile talks between leader Kim Jong Un and then-US President Donald Trump failed.
Since then, talks with the US have stalled, and the country continues to grapple financially with international sanctions and a self-imposed coronavirus blockade.
Pyongyang fired two suspected cruise missiles on Tuesday, and has tested at least four additional weapons this month – including hypersonic missiles on January 5 and 11.
Last week, North Korea indicated it might resume nuclear and long-range weapons tests it has stalled since 2017.
North Korea’s saber-rattling comes at a delicate time in the region, with leader Kim Jong Un’s only major ally China gearing up to host the Winter Olympics next month and South Korea gearing up for a presidential election in March.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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