North Korea fires ballistic missile, Seoul and Tokyo say

North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Wednesday, according to the South Korean military and the Japanese Defence Ministry.

The missile was launched near the North Korean coastal city of Wŏnsan, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported, citing the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The missile flew more than 700 kilometres, the JCS said. The Japanese Defence Ministry said it reached a maximum altitude of around 90 kilometres before falling into the sea.

According to Yonhap, this was Pyongyang’s 11th ballistic missile launch this year.

North Korea is prohibited under several UN Security Council resolutions from launching ballistic missiles.

Experts suspect that North Korea is seeking to demonstrate its strength ahead of military exercises by South Korean and US forces later this month.