North Korea fires suspected missile as S.Korea breaks ground for 'peace' railway

People watch a TV broadcasting file footage of a news report on North Korea firing a ballistic missile off its east coast, in Seoul, South Korea, January 5, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile off its east coast on Wednesday, just hours before South Korean President Moon Jae-in attended a groundbreaking ceremony for a rail line he hopes will eventually connect the divided Korean peninsula.

North Korea's first launch since October underscored leader Kim Jong Un's New Year vow https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/nkoreas-kim-talks-food-not-nukes-2022-2021-12-31 to bolster the military to counter an unstable international situation amid stalled talks with South Korea and the United States.