North Korea's Missile Move: What's Really Going On?

North Korea has fired some short-range missiles, the first time in five months. This happened just before a big meeting in South Korea, where leaders like the U. S. President and others were expected to talk. The missiles flew about 350 kilometers (220 miles) northeast but didn't land in the sea. South Korea's military is ready to respond if needed, thanks to their strong alliance with the U. S. Japan's new Prime Minister said they are working closely with the U. S. and South Korea, sharing important information in real-time. North Korea hasn't said anything about the launches yet. South Korea is getting ready to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. This meeting is all about promoting trade and economic cooperation, not military stuff. The U. S. President was supposed to go, but it's not clear if he'll be at the main event. Experts think North Korea might be doing this to show they want to be recognized as a nuclear power. They believe their leader, Kim Jong Un, wants the U. N. to lift the economic sanctions that are punishing them for their weapons program. This isn't the first time North Korea has tested missiles. They did it back in May and have been doing more tests since their talks with the U. S. fell apart in 2019. But last month, Kim suggested he might be open to talks again if the U. S. drops its demand for denuclearization. Earlier this month, Kim showed off a new intercontinental ballistic missile at a military parade. This missile is designed to carry multiple nuclear warheads and could be tested soon. It's clear that North Korea is serious about building a strong arsenal of nuclear missiles.