North Korea launches unidentified projectile toward waters off its east coast: South Korea

SEOUL, South Korea, Aug 6, (AP): North Korea launched an unidentified projectile toward the waters off its east coast on Thursday, South Korea's military said, the latest in a series of weapons tests by North Korea this year.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff gave no further details such as the type of weapon fired. North Korea has been focusing on enlarging its nuclear and missile arsenals since leader Kim Jong Un’s high-stakes diplomacy with US President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019.

Experts say the North Korean leader wants international recognition as a nuclear state so that he can demand the lifting of international economic sanctions on North Korea. Last month, Kim supervised tests of a nuclear-capable cruise missile and other weapons aboard a new 5,000-ton destroyer.

After years of prioritizing ballistic missile development, Kim has increasingly turned his focus to naval capabilities, including the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine.

While outlining his five-year military goals at the Workers’ Party congress in February, Kim also called for intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of underwater launches. In recent years, Kim has also boosted his diplomatic credentials by expanding ties with Russia. North Korea has supplied conventional weapons and troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine.