South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min Seok confirms that North Korea launched missiles waters off North Korea's east coast in between 11 a.m. and noon on Monday, May 20, and its 6th missile between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., Bloomberg reports.

North Korea 's administration says that the missiles fired from May 16 until May 19 is an exercise of rights to test-fire rockets as part of regular military drills.

George Little, North Korea's spokesman for international obligations, said that "We are monitoring what is happening and we hope that over time the North Koreans continue to look hard at the need for peace and stability on the peninsula."

Mr Little expounded that the "launches don't in themselves end a provocative pause and do not necessarily violate North Korea's international obligations. I think we can safely say we remain in a period of tensions that are relatively small-scale by comparison with the months after North Korea tested a nuclear Device in February."

Willy Wo-Lap Lam, an adjunct professor of history at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, through a phone interview with Bloomberg, said that "Using short-range missiles is a relatively restrained move by North Korea's Standards. Unlike in April when it was sending out hostile messages almost every day, North Korea has been more restrained in the past few weeks."

It is to be recalled that weeks prior to the missiles launching, North Korea evoked terror at it threatened to use its test firing of a powerful midrange Musudan rocket that would possibly threaten Guam. The Musudan rocket has a range of 3,000 miles to 3,500 miles.

U.S. and South Korea vs China and North Korea

According to the analysis of Professor Yang Moo Jin of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, "The North is likely testing these missiles as an armed protest against the recent military drills jointly conducted by the U.S. and South Korea."

North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency also said that North's missile exercises are aimed to intensify defense against the imminent threats from the U.S. and South Korea.

It is to be remembered that following the February nuclear weapon test, the Kim regime declared preemptive nuclear strikes against South Korea and the U.S.

The Obama administration said that it will heighten pressure on North Korea if it tests a missile or nuclear device but no amount of UN intervention has stopped the Kim regime with its missile launches.

The U.S. and South Korea, have since then, made efforts to discuss with China about employing possible sanction to stall North Korea's nuclear weapons programme. China is the strongest ally to North Korea and has securely protected the North from any UN intervention.

As a result of this discussion, a Chinese state bank allegedly closed North Korea's bank accounts.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said that "Safeguarding peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula is inevitable and what everyone wants. We hope under the current circumstances all parties will do things that will ease tensions and improve relationships."