SEOUL: South Korea says North Korea has fired a ballistic missile toward its eastern waters.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launch was made on Friday (Dec 23) but gave no further details like what type of weapon North Korea fired and how far it flew.
The launch was three days after the US flew nuclear-capable bombers and advanced stealth jets near the Korean Peninsula for joint training with South Korean warplanes.
North Korea typically views such military exercises by the US and South Korea as an invasion rehearsal.
This comes after a year of unprecedented weapons tests by North Korea, including the launch of its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile the month before.
The powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un also insisted earlier this week that the North had developed advanced technologies to take images from space using a spy satellite.
The United States and South Korea have warned for months that Pyongyang is preparing to conduct its seventh nuclear test.