North Korea launches ballistic missile towards sea: South Korean military

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Japan’s government has also confirmed the launch of what is suspected to be a ballistic missile.

North Korea has launched at least one ballistic missile towards the sea off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff report.

The Japanese government also confirmed on Tuesday morning that North Korea had fired what was suspected to be a ballistic missile.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch towards the East Sea (which is also known as the Sea of Japan) and provided few other details, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reports.

Yonhap, citing the JCS, later reported that “multiple short-range ballistic missiles” may have been launched.

Japan’s coast guard said the projectile fired by North Korea had already splashed down, and Japanese news outlet NHK reported the missile appeared to have landed outside Japan’s maritime exclusive economic zone.

North Korea last week test – fired a huge new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) towards the sea off its eastern coastline. North Korean state news reported the test-launch of a Hwasong-19 ICBM on October 31, describing the new missile as “the world’s strongest ICBM”.

South Korean officials had warned that North Korea would likely dial up military displays around the US presidential election – which is due to start shortly – to get the attention of Washington.

South Korea’s military intelligence agency also said last week that North Korea had likely completed preparations for its seventh nuclear test.