North Korea has once again defied global pressure including those from the United States as well as its closest ally China and fired several unknown ground-based projectiles which are likely to surface to ship cruise missiles according to South Korea’s Joint Chief of Staff, "North Korea fired several unidentified projectiles, assumed to be surface-to-ship cruise missiles, this morning in the direction of the East Sea from the vicinity of Wonsan, Gangwon Province," the JCS statement said, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency. These projectiles were likely to have aimed to warn the United States by showing its capabilities, which has deployed several aircraft carriers and submarines in the Korean Peninsula in order to reduce the threat of North Korea and also to exert pressure on the North Korean regime. After the reported missile test, China reiterated its call on all parties involved in the situation to exercise restraint and make an effort to stabilize the situation in the region. Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said the missiles didn’t reach Japanese territorial waters or pose an immediate threat to national security. Nevertheless, he called the test a provocation and said Tokyo would not tolerate such actions.

While North Korea has continued conducting missile tests despite warning from President Trump that the United States is ready to act unilaterally to reduce North Korean threats, the newly elected President of South Korea, Moon Je in has halted the deployment of US missile shield in the region citing environmental concerns. Moon Jae-in’s office said he had launched an environmental review that could delay the deployment of four rocket launchers for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) platform, for up to a year. Two launchers that have already been deployed will not be withdrawn. President Trump has also triggered a controversy by suggesting that South Korea should make payments as high as $1 billion for the THAADs.