05-03-2022 by Mirai
North Korea has fired at least one "unidentified projectile," the South Korean military said on Saturday, which could be Pyongyang's ninth missile test since the beginning of the year.
"North Korea launched an unidentified projectile to the east," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, without providing further details.
Why is North Korea launching so many missiles?
Despite draconian international sanctions, Pyongyang carried out a record series of seven weapons tests in January, including its most powerful missile since 2017, before suspending firing during the Beijing Winter Olympics.
On Monday, Pyongyang said it had carried out a high-stakes test for the development of a reconnaissance satellite, a day after Seoul said it detected a ballistic missile launch.
North Korea's latest tests come at a sensitive time in the region, with South Korea set to elect its next president on Wednesday.
Analysts believe that Pyongyang could use the most important date on its political calendar, the 110th anniversary of the birth of its founder, Kim Il Sung, on April 15, to carry out a major weapons test.
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