North Korea was reported to have launched an unidentified projectile, presumed to be a ballistic missile, in the Pyongyang area on the 7th. It came a day after President Lee Jae-myung expressed regret to the North over the flight of an unmanned aircraft.
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the North's projectile flew eastward but disappeared after showing abnormal signs early in the launch. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, "The detailed specifications (of the projectile) are being analyzed by South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities."
The military authorities have promptly notified the public when North Korea launches a ballistic missile. However, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) did not disclose it immediately the previous day, saying further analysis was needed to determine whether it was a ballistic missile. If a ballistic missile was launched, it would constitute a violation of the U.N. Security Council's resolutions on the North.
North Korea's projectile launch came the day after Kim Yo-jong, Director General of the Workers' Party, said of President Lee's expression of regret over the "intrusion incident by an unmanned aircraft into the North," "Our head of state assessed that this showed the attitude of a frank and magnanimous person."
There is also speculation that it sought to show its hostile policy toward the South has not changed.