North Korea Fires Short-Range Missile Off East Coastal Town

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff have confirmed that Saturday morning, at around 9:00 AM, North Korea fired a short-range missile off their east coast. The missile traveled eastward, out to sea.

This is a presumptive missile test and, once confirmed, would be the first North Korean missile test of any kind since diplomatic rapprochement began in early 2018, when North Korea announced an open-ended pause.

Specifically details of the missile launched were unclear, and officials say they are still analyzing all the data and details of the launch, near the coastal town of Wonsan. A short-range test launch is likely more a message sent than a serious advancement in North Korea’s actual capabilities.

Since the failed Hanoi Summit in late February, the US and North Korea have become increasingly at odds, and repeated calls by the north for the US to show “flexibility” have been dismissed, with officials continuing to demand North Korea capitulate to everything the US wants. The firing may be intended to send a message that North Korean threats to return to the pre-negotiations status are not empty.