The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired a ballistic missile off its east coast towards Japan early on Wednesday, Seoul's military said, days before the planned start of massive US-South Korea joint drills.

"Our military detected at around 6.00 am a ballistic missile launched by North Korea from the Wonsan area towards the East Sea," Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a message to reporters, referring to the DPRK.

It said the missile flew more than 700 kilometres, adding that South Korea's military had stepped up surveillance and was maintaining readiness for possible additional launches, while closely sharing information with the United States and Japan.

South Korea's presidential national security council issued a statement urging its northern neighbour to stop ballistic missile launches, which it said are “acts of provocation” that defy UN Security Council resolutions.

The launch came two days after South Korea and the United States announced they will kick off their annual large-scale military drills on August 17 to beef up readiness against threats from the DPRK.

"This is a message that Pyongyang is closely watching the upcoming drills and could stage a provocation if it deems one necessary," Lim Eul-chul, a North Korea expert at Kyungnam University, told AFP.

On Tuesday, North Korean state media had condemned ⁠Japan's latest defence white paper as a document aimed at reviving militarism, saying Tokyo was using what it called an unfounded portrayal of Pyongyang as a security threat to justify an arms buildup.

The DPRK has conducted a series of tests this year, including short-range ballistic missiles, artillery rockets and other tactical weapons.

Last week, Pyongyang fired a short-range ballistic missile towards the sea, according to the South Korean military. (Agencies)



Edited by Cecil Wong