MOSCOW, August 3. /TASS/. North Korea will go ahead with launches of ballistic missiles and its missile program in general, the director of the Russian Strategy for Asia Center at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Economics, Georgy Toloraya, has told TASS.

"North Korea makes no secret of its intention to continue its missile program in defiance of all sanctions, and it will be doing so in an outspoken and challenging manner," Toloraya said. In his opinion, the latest launches are connected with the "US-South Korean exercise scheduled to begin soon."

"North Korea suspects that this exercise is directed against it," he said.

"Also, there are plans for practicing operations aimed at the elimination of the North Korean leadership and so on and so forth. Small wonder, therefore, there will be more launches in the future," Toloraya said.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff earlier said that North Korea at 07:50 local time on Wednesday launched a ballistic missile from Hwanghae-namdo province towards the Sea of Japan. Last time North Korea launched two medium-range missiles Nodon and one short-range missile Scud on July 19.