The test, which will likely happen Monday or Tuesday, is a pivotal moment in the fractious inter-Korean relationship. The Security Council scheduled a meeting in New York on Sunday at Russia’s request, underscoring pressure on South Korea from both Moscow and Beijing to cancel the test…

With the test, South Korea is walking a tightrope by trying to defend waters it has controlled since the Korean War of the 1950s in a way that doesn’t escalate into more fighting, which would threaten the safety of its 50 million people and the vibrancy of its economy, the world’s 15th-biggest.

On Sunday, South Korean defense officials called the planned test “usual and justifiable.” “We won’t take into consideration North Korean threats and diplomatic situations before holding the live-fire drill. If weather permits, it will be held as scheduled,” a spokesman for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.