N.Korea Fires 4 Rockets into West Sea

North Korea fired four projectiles from what appeared to be a multiple rocket launcher into the West Sea on Sunday morning, four days after it failed to launch a new intercontinental ballistic missile.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff here, the North fired the four rockets from South Pyongan Province into the West Sea between 7 and 8 a.m.

The latest launch seems to be "a show of force to protest against an impending joint South Korea-U.S. military exercise that are likely to be staged in mid-April," said Prof. Nam Joo-hong at Kyonggi University. "It's also a warning to a new government in South Korea."

South Korea and the U.S. last week warned they could resume missive joint bomber exercises if the North goes ahead with an ICBM launch.

In April, the regime celebrates its biggest national holiday, the 110th birthday of regime founder Kim Il-sung, and Pyongyang is expected to launch a high-level provocation to coincide with it.