North Korea South Korea suspects North Korea has fired two ballistic missiles

South Korea the army suspects North Korea fired two ballistic missiles on Monday. This is already the fourth missile test conducted by North Korea later this year. The Japanese Coast Guard also estimates that North Korea conducted the test with a ballistic missile.

A South Korean military spokesman says the country suspects two short-range ballistic missiles were fired east of Sunan Airport in Pyongyang. The missiles were fired east of the Korean Peninsula into the Sea of ​​Japan.

North Korea has tested a hypersonic missile twice earlier this month, and on Friday it fired two rail – borne tactical missiles. The South Korean ally, the United States, announced last week that it would impose new sanctions on North Korea, which North Korea has seen as a “provocation” and accusing the United States of “deliberately escalating” the situation.

“The North seems to have sent a message in response to US sanctions … it is a sign that it is continuing missile tests despite criticism,” a researcher at the Korean Reunification Institute in Seoul Hong Min said.

The new missile test was conducted shortly after a North Korean freight train was reported to have crossed the North Korean-Chinese border river Jalun, the South Korean news agency Yonhap said. The arrival of the freight train on the Chinese side may be a sign that trade between the countries has resumed after a break of more than a year.