North Korea decided to attack Japan?

North Korea fired suspected short-range rockets into the Yellow Sea
on Sunday, days after the North attempted to fire a ballistic missile
that ended in massive failure as it exploded upon launch, according
to Reuters (https://reut.rs/3tt8bd8). The North's latest burst of
weapons testing fuels concerns about rising tensions on the Korean
Peninsula.
South Korea's Defense Ministry said "short-range projectile launches"
were detected on Sunday off North Korea's west coast. The ministry
said it monitors the situation and maintains readiness. 
"This morning there was firing in North Korea which is assumed to
be multiple rocket launcher shots, and our military was monitoring
the related situation and maintaining a readiness posture," South
Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
Yonhap news agency reported four rockets were fired within an hour
in an unspecified location in North Korea's Pyongan province. All
projectiles landed in the Yellow Sea.
South Korea's presidential office said it held an emergency national
security council meeting over the launches. The council members
analyzed details about the firings and were in close contact with the
US.
South Korea is expected to increase its military capability on the
peninsula after it recently approved plans to procure a multi-billion
dollar defense missile shield, similar to Israel's "Iron Dome,"
designed to shoot down the North's ballistic and long-range missiles.
A power transition is underway in South Korea as President Moon
Jae-in's presidential term ends in May and will be replaced by a
conservative government led by Yoon Suk Yeol
(https://bit.ly/3iu3lWA), who has called for a more robust military
alliance with the US.
On Wednesday, the North fired what was supposed to be the 10th
weapons launch this year, failed after the projectile exploded during
its booster phase (https://bit.ly/3wpPLvH).
The latest weapons testing may suggest the North is preparing to
fire a Hwasong-17 rocket, first unveiled at a military parade in
2020, to test its long-range capabilities and place the US mainland
within striking distance.