Early on the morning of New Year's Day local time, the news came that North Korea fired a robot towards the Sea of Japan, according to the South Korean military.
More than 70 robot tests
And on New Year's Eve, three robots were launched over the sea.
The robot tests became symptomatic of the past year, when tensions on the Korean peninsula increased.
Even before the New Year's weekend tests, Pyongyang had conducted more than 70 robot tests during the year.
So answered South Korea
The latest tests take place in the same week that the country flew in drones over South Korea.
It was something of a wake-up call for Seoul, whose air defenses failed to shoot anyone down, although one of the drones reached the capital's northern outskirts.
That led to South Korea's military publicly apologizing for the lapses, something that is rare.
South Korea responded by sending drones of its own across the border to the North, and this week conducted military drills simulating the downing of drones.
On Friday, Seoul tested a rocket intended to launch a surveillance satellite into orbit.
Today, South Korea depends on American satellites to monitor its neighbor to the north.