SEOUL (Reuters – North Korea launched what may be a missile ballistics on Monday, Japan’s coast guard stated. This would have been the fourth such test in this month, as Pyongyang continues to develop new military capabilities amid stalled talks with South Korea and the United States.

South Korea’s military reported also that North Korea had launched an unidentified projectile toward the sea off its east coast.

Three additional weapons testing have been conducted by North Korea since New Year’s Day. This is an uncommon number of weapon tests. The launches of two “hypersonic missiles”, capable of manoeuvring and high speed after launch, were followed by the third, which was a pair short-range missiles (SRBMs), launched from trains.

The type of missile involved in Monday’s launch was unknown immediately.

After a series of launch, the U.S. President Joe Biden called for U.N. Security Council blacklisting to be applied to several North Korean entities and individuals.

North Korea has claimed that the missile test were part of its sovereign right to defend itself and denies the United States intentionally inflaming the situation by imposing new sanctions.