N. Korea remains silent over latest missile launches

Seoul, August 21 - North Korea remained mum on its missile launches the day prior, marking the third consecutive day of silence from Pyongyang. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and the widely-read Rodong Sinmun newspaper did not report on the missile tests as of 6:30 a.m. This silence, while unusual, is not unprecedented. North Korea has concealed certain launches before when they had minimal propaganda value.

On Thursday, Pyongyang fired over ten short-range ballistic missiles towards the East Sea during an ongoing joint South Korea-U.S. military exercise, which the North claimed was a rehearsal for war. The Joint Chiefs of Staff reported the missiles traveled around 300 km, with further analysis pending. Pyongyang's latest missile launches occurred as U.S. President Donald Trump attempted to restart diplomatic ties with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, having reduced the scale of an allied military exercise as a gesture of goodwill.

These launches also came a week after a short-range ballistic missile was launched eastward on August 12, and roughly two weeks after another similar missile was fired on August 6. North Korea has remained silent on all three incidents.