North Korea Fires Short-Range Projectile To Show Off Defense Capabilities

North Korea fired a short-range projectile Tuesday from the coastal city of Wonsan which hit a target on land 100 miles away, according to a report by Yonhap, which added that the latest launch was a show of Pyongyang’s defense capabilities in the face of toughened sanctions imposed against the Kim Jong Un regime.

“We are closely monitoring related developments and maintain a high level of readiness,” a South Korean official told Yonhap.

North Korea had launched five short-range missiles into the East Sea from the northeastern city of Hamhung on March 21, a move which was criticized by the international community. The reclusive nation slammed the criticism from the U.S. over the test-fire and said Monday that the U.S. was scared of its large-caliber multiple launch rocket system.

“The deployment of the multiple launch rocket system is like a horrible nightmare for the U.S. as the system is of great strategic significance in remarkably increasing the capabilities of the Korean People's Army in mounting precision attacks on the enemies' targets in the operational theatre in the southern part of Korea,” a report by North Korea’s state-controlled website Uriminzokkiri said Monday.

Despite the sanctions imposed on North Korea over its nuclear test in January and a February rocket launch, Kim has called for increasing the country’s defense capabilities and the production of more nuclear warheads. In response, South Korea and the U.S. are conducting their largest-ever joint annual military drill.