North Korea launches ballistic missile toward sea, its second test in a week ahead of South Korea-US military drills

North Korea launched a ballistic missile from its eastern coast towards Japan on Wednesday, according to the South Korean military. The missile was fired from the Wonsan area around 6 am and traveled over 700 kilometers. In response, the South Korean presidential national security council called for North Korea to cease ballistic missile launches, describing them as "acts of provocation" that violate UN Security Council resolutions.

Japan's Defense Ministry also reported spotting a suspected ballistic missile launch from North Korea, stating that it did not detect the weapon reaching Japan's exclusive economic zone. This marks the second ballistic missile test conducted by North Korea in less than a week, coinciding with an upcoming South Korea-US military drill that Pyongyang views as an invasion rehearsal.

The 11-day joint exercise, Ulchi Freedom Shield, begins on Monday, August 17. North Korea expert Lim Eul-chul told AFP that the missile test is a message from Pyongyang to closely monitor the upcoming drills and may stage a provocation if deemed necessary. North Korea has been increasingly criticizing Japan, a former regional colonial power, over its perceived remilitarization, in response to UN Security Council resolutions banning North Korea from ballistic missile launches.

Since the collapse of high-stakes diplomacy between North Korea and US President Donald Trump in 2019, North Korea has ramped up ballistic and other weapons testing to expand its nuclear and missile arsenals. The missile launches come at a time when North Korea, an isolated country, is gaining attention in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, with Ukraine accusing Russia of using North Korean missiles in an attack that killed 10 and wounded dozens.