In a continued display of aggression, North Korea launched several cruise missiles towards its western sea on Saturday, according to South Korea's military. This marks the second launch event in protest of the docking of a nuclear-armed U.S. submarine in South Korea.

While North Korea has been conducting a series of missile launches in recent months, they have remained silent on the fate of an American soldier who defected across the heavily armed Korean border.

The launches, detected around 4 am, are currently being analyzed by the U.S. and South Korean militaries. The recent missile launches come just days after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles from an area near its capital, Pyongyang.

These missiles flew approximately 550 kilometers before landing in waters east of the Korean Peninsula. The distance covered is comparable to the distance between Pyongyang and the South Korean port city of Busan, where the USS Kentucky, a U.S. nuclear-armed submarine, made its first visit to South Korea since the 1980s.

The United States and South Korea have been ramping up joint military exercises and have agreed to deploy more strategic assets like bombers, aircraft carriers, and submarines to showcase their force against North Korea.

This display is in response to North Korea's continuous missile tests, with around 100 missiles test-fired since the start of 2022. In addition to military exercises, the allies have initiated nuclear contingency planning meetings to address the growing nuclear threat from North Korea, allaying fears among the South Korean public and countering voices suggesting South Korea should pursue its own deterrent.

North Korea's defense minister issued a veiled threat, hinting that the docking of the USS Kentucky in South Korea could be grounds for a nuclear attack. Although North Korea has used such rhetoric in the past, these comments highlight the strained relations between the two countries.

In response, South Korea's Defense Ministry described the deployment of the Kentucky and the ongoing nuclear contingency planning meetings as defensive measures against the North Korean threat.

The ministry also warned that any nuclear attack by North Korea on the allies would face an immediate, overwhelming, and decisive response that could potentially bring an end to the North Korean regime.

While North Korea continues its missile launches and remains silent on the defected American soldier, there are concerns about the soldier's well-being due to North Korea's history of mistreating detainees.

The fate of the American soldier may be used as leverage by North Korea to extract political and security concessions from the United States, potentially linking his release to the reduction of U.S. military activities with South Korea. As the situation unfolds, it is important to consider the complex dynamics at play and not jump to conclusions about the causes and effects of these events.