In a move that is likely to raise tensions in the Korean peninsula, North Korea fired two suspected ballistic missiles on Thursday, the sixth weapons test carried out by the country since the start of the new year.
A woman stands in front of a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test.
South Korea's military said it detected two projectiles that were launched five minutes apart from North Korea's eastern coast.
The launch was acknowledged by the U.S. military, but it didn't mention the impact of the weapons program.
The U.S. state department said that the tests violated multiple UN Security Council resolutions.
In a speech made on Tuesday at the U.N.-sponsored Conference on Disarmament, North Korean envoy Han Tae Song said his country's recent tests were part of a long-term plan for the development of national science.
The U.N. Conference on Disarmament will be chaired by North Korea during the month of June. The forum has 65 member states and its presidency can be changed among them.
The UN Security Council has banned North Korea from conducting missile tests. In the past year, the country has carried out several missile tests, but has shown little regard for the ban. The U.N. sanctions on North Korea have been delayed by China and Russia.
A North Korean leadership meeting last week indicated that the country may end its self-imposed pause on testing nuclear weapons and long range missiles to bolster its defense against the United States. The North Korean politburo railed against the U.S. government's recent sanctions against it and said its missile tests were an exercise of sovereignty. The leadership of North Korea recognized the need to prepare for a long-term confrontation with the U.S. At a time when he hoped that his relationship with Donald Trump would lead to the lifting of sanctions against North Korea, Kim put in place a self-imposed moratorium. Talks between the two nations have stopped since a summit between Kim and Trump collapsed. Five North Koreans have been sanctioned by the Biden administration for their roles in obtaining equipment and technology for the country's missile programs. According to the Associated Press, the sanctions have had a huge impact on the economy of the North.
The U.S. condemns a flurry of tests by North Korea.
North Korea fires 2 suspected missiles.
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