US President Donald Trump brushed aside North Korea's missile tests on Friday saying that while they may violate a UN resolution Kim Jong Un will not want to "disappoint" him because he has "too much to lose."
"Also, there is far too much to lose," Trump said. "I may be wrong, but I believe that (Chairman) Kim has a great and beautiful vision for his country, and only the United States, with me as President, can make that vision come true."
The flight profile was similar to Wednesday's test and Seoul's presidential office said the weapons were likely "a new type of short-range ballistic missile."
Kim had been "emboldened" by his DMZ handshake with Trump, said Jean Lee of the Wilson Centre in Washington, and was "seeking to create a sense of urgency on the Korean Peninsula to improve his hand in anticipated nuclear negotiations."
Pyongyang has signalled that further negotiations could be derailed by Washington and Seoul's refusal to scrap the annual maneuvers between their forces, describing last week's launch as a "solemn warning to the South Korean warmongers."