North Korea fires ballistic missile: South Korea

North Korea fired a ballistic missile off its east coast, the South Korean military said on Thursday.

The launch came after North Korea issued a protest against live fire drills carried out by South Korea together with the United States.

The Japanese defence ministry said the North had fired what could have been a ballistic missile.


Several thousand South Korean and U.S. troops took part in joint live-fire exercises on Thursday, in a show of force after North Korea's failed attempt last month to launch a spy satellite ratcheted up tensions in the region.

In response to the drills, North Korea said its forces would sternly respond to "any kind of protests or provocations by enemies."

Pyongyang unsuccessfully tried to launch a spy satellite late last month, in its first such attempt since 2016, with the rocket booster and payload plunging into the sea.