The Wall Street Journal says the parties to the six-way nuclear talks apparently want to downplay North Korea's missile tests Friday and tackle them in a diplomatic way.

Pyongyang fired a short-range missile into the East Sea Friday.

The newspaper said the test can be interpreted as a provocative action, as the North has refused to implement a February 13th agreement on nuclear dismantlement.

But Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he doesn't see the test as a serious threat, a far cry from Tokyo's stronger rhetoric over Pyongyang's missile firings in the past.

The U.S. and South Korea have called the missile test part of the North's regular military drills.

The daily said, however, that Washington will apply stronger pressure on Seoul and Beijing to take action against Pyongyang if implementation of the February deal is not forthcoming.