North Korea test-fired seven missiles into the Sea of Japan on Wednesday in defiance of international calls, direct and indirect, that it refrain from such a reckless action. The launches not only provoked the international community but also push Pyongyang into further isolation, which won't make conditions any better for the people of North Korea.
North Korea cannot justify firing so many missiles. By showing off its missile capabilities, though, it probably hopes to coax the United States into bilateral talks with it on matters such as its nuclear weapons program and the financial sanctions that the U.S. has imposed on it. But it is clear that such adventurism won't work, since the missile launches have only prompted the U.S. and other nations to move to penalize North Korea.
The missile tests make it more difficult for Japan and North Korea to resume bilateral talks aimed at eventually normalizing the two countries' relations. Thus it is all the more important that Japan try to revive the six-party talks on the nuclear issue, which have been stalled since last November -- when North Korea cited U.S. financial sanctions for refusing to resume them.