N. Korea Fires Missiles Ahead Of Harris' Visit To Seoul, U.S.-S. Korea Naval Drills

North Korea test-fired a short-range ballistic missile into the East Seat on Sunday, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

• The launch came two days after aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and vessels from its strike group docked at a base in South Korea ahead of planned joint drills with the local naval forces. The arrival of the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier marks the strongest warning sign to North Korea yet amidst its recent barrage of missile tests.
• Pyongyang's latest missile drill preceded U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to South Korea, where she is planning to head after attending Japanese ex-PM Shinzo Abe's funeral on Thursday. During her visits to Japan and South Korea, Harris is expected to reaffirm Washington's commitment to its alliances with the two East Asian nations.
• Sunday's launch came on the heels of another short-range missile test on Saturday, marking the first such drills since June. Yonhap reported that South Korean officials have detected signs that Pyongyang might be preparing to test-fire a submarine-launched ballistic missile, while a U.S. official told the news agency that a nuclear test during Harris' East Asia trip was a possibility.