North Korea flexes its muscles yet again

It seems that the North Korean military can not go a week without doing something to piss their neighbors off.  Last week, I talked a little about their use of an American prisoner as a bargaining chip (a tactic they employ on a regular basis).  This week, it’s yet another missile launch, albeit a smaller and more reliable one than the disasters they've had lately.

According to South Korean sources, the DPRK launched three short-range missiles off their eastern coast this week.  It’s something that they do on a regular basis and the missiles were shot in a direction that was not toward South Korea or Japan as has been the case at other times.  It could have just been a test, but there could also be more meaning beneath the surface.

In order to counter any potential situation that may arise, South Korea is now monitoring the country on increased alert.  If anything further happens, they will likely know about it.  The missiles in question, KNO-2s, are short-range but perfectly capable enough of hitting South Korea if the DPRK decided to aim them that way.

Considering that the rest of the world is really itching for an excuse to brawl with the little rogue state, it seems like poor timing to me.  Of course, the military likely sees the launch of some missiles as proof of their intentions to remain armed and continue on their goal of acquiring nuclear weapons.  It might even be that this is their way of reinforcing the threat they made earlier this year about pushing the nuclear program ahead faster due to their beef with US sanctions.  Whatever the reason, it’s become par for the course in the little dictatorship.  The rest of the world, however, is probably getting itchier with the trigger finger than North Korea will ever be.  Watch your step, little Kim.

KNO-2 missile photo courtesy of rapgenius.com