Irked North Korea Fires Test Missiles

North Korea test-fired a number of short-range missiles into the waters off its west coast, according to South Korean officials, in an apparent show of anger at Washington and the new government in Seoul, Reuters reports. "We are monitoring the situation," said a South Korean presidential spokesman. The development comes at a key moment in the effort to rid North Korea of nuclear weapons, writes Bloomberg.

The six-nation talks designed to end Pyongyang's nuke program have been stalled since the end of last year, when the North missed a deadline to declare the extent of its facilities. Korea watchers say the North is flexing its military muscle as a reaction to the South's new president, who has promised a tougher stance on the North's nuclear capability. (More North Korea stories.)