North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile Toward East Sea Ahead of Major US-South Korea Military Drills

SEOUL — North Korea launched a ballistic missile off its eastern coast toward the sea on Wednesday, marking its second weapons testing activity in less than a week. The launch has drawn swift condemnation from Seoul and Tokyo as regional tensions escalate.

According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, the missile was fired from the Wonsan area around 6:00 a.m. local time and flew approximately 700 kilometers (435 miles) before landing in waters outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.

The provocative move comes just days before the United States and South Korea are scheduled to kick off major, large-scale joint military exercises. The upcoming 11-day allied defense drills, designed to bolster readiness against the nuclear-armed North's evolving threats, are due to begin on Monday.

Pyongyang has historically bristled at the annual exercises, routinely denouncing them as "rehearsals for an invasion" and frequently staging weapons tests in protest.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi strongly criticized the launch, calling it a clear "threat to peace and security in our region" and noting that Tokyo had lodged a formal protest through diplomatic channels in Beijing.

South Korea's National Security Council condemned the launch as a direct act of provocation, urging Pyongyang to immediately halt its destabilizing testing cycle. Meanwhile, the militaries of South Korea and the United States stated they are closely analyzing the missile's specifications while maintaining heightened surveillance and joint defense readiness.