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North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the East Sea early in the morning on New Year's Day.
It was provocation for two days in a row following yesterday (31st), and there is a prospect that North Korea will maintain a hardline stance in the new year.
This is reporter Ahn Hee-jae.
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It was around 2:50 am this morning when North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the South Korean military detected North Korea's firing of a short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea from Yongsong, Pyongyang.
The missile flew over 400 km before landing in the East Sea.
It was analyzed that North Korea fired three ballistic missiles at around 8:00 am yesterday at 8:01, 14, and 15 minutes, respectively, from a mobile launch vehicle in Chunghwa County, North Hwanghae Province, about 60 kilometers south of Pyongyang.
The military believes that all three shots flew to the northeast and then landed on an uninhabited island in the East Sea that North Korea often uses as a test launch target.
North Korea's provocation for two days in a row seems to have a strong response to the South Korean military's successful test flight of a solid fuel-powered space launch vehicle the day before yesterday.
The ballistic missile launched yesterday also uses the same solid fuel propulsion system as our military's space launch vehicle.
In particular, the launch on New Year's Day is unusual, which is interpreted as meaning that North Korea will maintain a strong stance externally this year.
The plenary meeting, which is being held on the sixth day, seems to have a purpose to strengthen internal solidarity.
North Korea has launched a total of 70 ballistic missiles over 38 rounds so far, including eight intercontinental ballistic missiles over the past year.
(Video coverage: Han Il-sang, video editing: Park Jeong-sam)