North Korea has fired a suspected ballistic missile off its east coast, underscoring leader Kim Jong Un's New Year vow to bolster the military to counter an unstable international situation.
Japan's coast guard, which first reported the launch, said it could be a ballistic missile, while the country's defence minister later said it had flown about 500 kilometres.
"Since last year, North Korea has repeatedly launched missiles, which is very regrettable," Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) also reported that nuclear-armed North Korea fired a presumed ballistic missile from an inland location toward the sea on Wednesday.
"Our military is maintaining readiness posture in preparation for a possible additional launch while closely monitoring the situation in close cooperation with the United States," the JCS said in a statement.
Recent North Korean missile tests have often featured double or multiple launches.
South Korea's National Security Council convened an emergency meeting, expressing concern that the launch "came at a time when internal and external stability is extremely important" and calling on North Korea to return to talks.
United Nations Security Council resolutions ban all ballistic missile and nuclear tests by North Korea, and have imposed sanctions over the programmes.
In state media summaries of a speech Mr Kim gave ahead of the New Year, the North Korean leader did not specifically mention missiles or nuclear weapons but said that national defence must be bolstered.
Missiles were displayed during a military parade marking the ruling party congress in Pyongyang. Source: KCNA via KNS
For several weeks North Korean troops have been conducting winter exercises, South Korean military officials have said.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,, imposing border lockdowns that have slowed trade to a trickle and choking off any in-person diplomatic engagements.
It has also stuck to a self-imposed moratorium on testing its largest intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) or nuclear weapons.
The last tests of ICBMs or a nuclear bomb were in 2017, before Mr Kim launched a diplomatic overture to the United States and South Korea that has since stalled.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and former US President Donald Trump met at the Demilitarised Zone. Source: AP
But Pyongyang has continued test firing new, short-range ballistic missiles, including one launched from a submarine in October, arguing it should not be penalised for developing weapons that other countries also wield.
"While the readout from North Korea’s recent plenary meetings may have prioritised rural development for the coming year, it doesn’t mean the country will halt its ballistic missile tests," said Michelle Kae, deputy director of 38 North, a North Korea monitoring programme at Washington’s Stimson Center.
Just hours after the North Korean launch, Japan announced its foreign and defence ministers will hold talks with their US counterparts in a "two-plus-two" format on Friday to discuss security issues.
