North Korea launched two suspected ballistic missiles into the sea on Thursday, the South Korean military said. This is North Korea's sixth round of weapons launches this month.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea announced the launch in a text message to reporters, according to the Yonhap news agency.
The launch drew a rebuke from the U.S., as it would be the North's sixth missile test this month.
North Korea has launched the most missiles in a month on record, military experts said, as the reclusive state ushers in 2022 with a dizzying showcase of new and operational weaponry.
North Korea has recently increased its testing activity, ostensibly to exert pressure on the Biden administration in the wake of long-stalled nuclear talks.
The renewed pressure comes as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the North's economy, which was already battered by crippling U.S.-led sanctions over its nuclear weapons program and decades of mismanagement by the North's own government.
The JCS reported that it detected the launch from within and around Hamhung, a city on the east coast, at approximately 8:00 a.m. (23:00 GMT), according to the Yonhap news agency. The missile flew approximately 190 kilometers at an altitude of around 20 kilometers.
The Kim Jong Un-led North announced this month that it would beef up its defenses against the U.S. and consider resuming "all temporarily halted activities," an apparent reference to a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear weapons and long-range missile tests.
The launch came after North Korea launched two cruise missiles into the sea off its east coast on Tuesday, escalating tensions over the country's nuclear tests.
Earlier this month, North Korea conducted tests of tactical guided missiles, two "hypersonic missiles" capable of high speeds and maneuverability following launch, and a railway missile system.
Certain tests are intended to develop new capabilities, particularly for evading missile defenses, while others are intended to demonstrate the readiness and versatility of North Korea's already deployed missile forces, analysts said.
The U.S. remains committed to a diplomatic approach and encourages North Korea to engage in dialogue, a U.S. State Department representative said.
North Korea's recent "remarkable development" in nuclear and missile technology cannot be ignored, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said during a briefing.
Meanwhile, North Korea has defended its missile tests as a sovereign right of self-defence and claimed that U.S. sanctions demonstrated that the America maintained a "hostile" policy even as it proposed talks.
