Hyonhee Shin, Cynthia Kim

SEOUL (Reuters.) -On Tuesday, North Korea appeared to have fired two cruise missiles at the east coast of its sea, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported. It was a result of a series of ballistic missile testing.

It said that South Korea’s military was evaluating the launch to ascertain the nature of projectiles.

It would be North Korea’s fifth launch of missiles this year. Kim Jong Un is a North Korean leader who has promised to provide military support with high-tech technology, even though talks with South Korea are stalled.

A cluster of the most powerful missile launches by an isolated nation since 2019 at the earliest has led to concern from the U.N. Secretary General. New sanctions were imposed by the Biden Administration.

Lee Sang-min, an expert in military affairs at Korea Institute for Defense Analyses says the missile launches this month appear to have been aimed to increase geopolitical tensions. This could push the Biden administration toward a revised strategy for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Lee stated that although cruise missiles travel slower than ballistic missiles, they are still considered a greater threat. However, their accuracy hits targets very precisely, which is something North Korea will continue to improve upon.”

Under United Nations sanctions, North Korea’s cruise missile launch ban does not apply to Pyongyang. Pyongyang has defied international condemnation, and it conducted four rounds missile testing, with the latest on January 17.

China and Russia asked the U.N. Security Council for a lifting of a ban against Pyongyang’s exports statues, seafood, and textiles. They also requested that a limit be placed on refined petroleum imports.

North Korea said that it was open to negotiations, provided the United States and other countries abandon their “hostile” policies such as military drills and sanctions.