North Korea fired an unidentified projectile, the South Korean military reported on Sunday, after a month without launches by the communist regime during the Beijing Olympics.
The launch comes after the North Korean regime conducted a record number of missile tests in a single month (seven) in January and just 10 days before the presidential election in South Korea.
Pyongyang also suggested last month that it might end its self-imposed moratorium on launching long-range missiles and nuclear tests in the face of failed dialogue with the United States
But the North paused testing during the Beijing Winter Games, possibly in deference to its only ally, China, according to analysts.
North Korea also warned in January that it would abandon a self-imposed moratorium on long-range weapons and nuclear missile tests, suspended since 2017.
The new releases come at a complex time for the region, as South Korea prepares for its presidential election on March 9.
A month without launching projectiles
The North Korean launch also comes after North Korea has opted not to conduct any weapons tests for the past four weeks, coinciding with the hosting of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.