As per South Korean military, North Korea fired a projectile for the sixth time this month

North Korea, according to the South Korean military, has launched at least one unidentified projectile into the sea in its sixth missile launch this month. The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea did not specify whether the projectile was a ballistic missile or how far it travelled on Thursday.

North Korea has recently increased its nuclear testing in an apparent attempt to put pressure on the Biden administration in the United States amid long-stalled nuclear talks.

The renewed pressure comes as the pandemic wreaks havoc on North Korea's economy, which has already been pounded by crushing US-led sanctions over its nuclear weapons programme and decades of mismanagement by the country's own government.

Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issued a veiled threat to resume testing of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles aimed at the US heartland, which he had postponed in 2018 while pursuing negotiation with the US.

Disagreements over sanctions relief and denuclearisation interrupted Kim's high-stakes summitry with former US President Donald Trump in 2019.

Some observers predict that after the Winter Olympics, which begin on February 4 in China, North Korea's primary ally and economic lifeline, the country's weapons demonstrations would skyrocket.

They believe Pyongyang's leadership believes a spectacular provocation will sway the Biden administration, which has promised open-ended negotiations but has shown no readiness to reduce sanctions unless Kim makes concrete measures to give up the nuclear weapons and missiles he sees as his best hope for survival.