Two New Launches from DPRK:

The first, as expected, was of four short-range missiles, fired into the Sea of Japan on Thursday. There are persistent media reports, apparently based on Japanese intelligence reports, that North Korea plans to launch a long-range ballistic missile towards Hawaii on July 4th.

More on Thursday's missile launch from NYT and The Korea Times.

The second launch was far more surprising: a beer commercial.

The DPRK has begun airing ads for the brew on state television. BBC reports that the Taedonggang beer company bought a brewery from the UK and had the entire plant shipped back to North Korea in 2002. Full article and commercial here.

More on signs of commercialization in the DPRK to follow in later posts.