North Korea has fired a projectile into waters off its eastern coast, a day after launching three short-range missiles in the same area, officials said.
North Korea routinely test-launches short-range missiles. But the latest launches came during a period of tentative diplomacy aimed at easing recent tension, including near-daily threats by North Korea to attack South Korea and the US earlier this year. North Korea protested annual joint military drills by Seoul and Washington and UN sanctions imposed over its February nuclear test.
The fourth launch occurred Sunday afternoon, according to officials at Seoul's Defence Ministry and Joint Chiefs of Staff. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing department rules, refused to say whether it was a missile or artillery round.
On Saturday, North Korea fired two short-range missiles in the morning and another in the afternoon. The US responded by saying threats or provocations would only further deepen North Korea's international isolation, while South Korea called the launches a provocation and urged the North to take responsible actions.
The North has a variety of missiles but Seoul and Washington don't believe the country has mastered the technology needed to manufacture nuclear warheads that are small and light enough to be placed on a missile capable of reaching the US.
