North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the East Sea on Wednesday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
The military said it detected the launch at around 6 a.m., but did not immediately disclose the location.
The missile flew about 700 kilometers, the military said. Its altitude was not disclosed.
“Our military has strengthened surveillance and vigilance against possible additional launches, while South Korea, the United States and Japan are closely sharing information on the North Korean ballistic missile and maintaining a full readiness posture,” the JCS said.
The launch came two days after South Korea and the United States announced plans to conduct their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise from Aug. 17-27.
The allies said the exercise is aimed at strengthening their combined defense posture against potential contingencies on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea has long denounced major South Korea-US military exercises as rehearsals for invasion and has often responded with missile launches and other military activities.
Wednesday’s launch also came six days after North Korea fired short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea from the Wonsan area on Aug. 6.
The latest launch marked North Korea’s 11th ballistic missile launch event this year.
flylikekite@heraldcorp.com
