North Korea fired a missile toward the sea off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday morning amid rising tensions before a major joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States next week.
The South Korean military stated that North Korea launched a missile from Wonsan around 06:00 local time, or 05:00 Singapore time, with the missile heading toward the sea east of the Korean Peninsula.
Meanwhile, Japan's NHK television reported that the missile likely landed in the sea outside Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
South Korea's military has increased its surveillance and preparedness for the possibility of additional missile launches from North Korea, while closely sharing information with the United States and Japan.
This latest missile launch comes ahead of the joint military exercises between South Korea and the U.S., scheduled for 17-27 August, aimed at countering North Korea's development of nuclear and weapons capabilities. North Korea has previously condemned these annual drills as provocations.
Earlier on Tuesday, North Korean state media condemned Japan's latest defense white paper, accusing it of promoting militarism and using claims that North Korea poses a security threat as justification for enhancing Japan's military capabilities.
Throughout this year, North Korea has tested various weapons, including short-range ballistic missiles, artillery rockets, and other tactical weapons. Just last week, South Korea's military reported that North Korea fired a short-range missile into the sea.
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