North Korea launched "several" unidentified short-range missiles from its eastern coast on Saturday morning (local time), the AP reports, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The backdrop: This follows February's failed second U.S.-North Korean summit in Hanoi and stalled denuclearization negotiations between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Kim also attended a test of what was called a “guided tactical weapon” in mid-April. Experts described the April test as a message to the U.S. that North Korea planned to "continue to amass weapons while the diplomatic standoff continued," per the New York Times. Trump has declined to lift sanctions on North Korea until Kim gives up his country's nuclear arsenal.
- North Korea indicated it will not back down from mounting international pressure, even if its citizens have “water and air only” to live on, according to state media.
- Kim also met with Russia's Vladimir Putin earlier this week.
The big picture: Taken together, these events could further raise tensions, as the U.S. and North Korea find themselves at an impasse. Authorities are reportedly still sifting through the details of Saturday's missile launch.
