Japan, South Korea say North Korea launched ballistic missile

Japanese and South Korean officials reported on Sunday that North Korea had launched at least one ballistic missile towards the sea east of the Korean Peninsula. The missile was fired from near the eastern coastal city of Wonsan, according to Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, as reported by Yonhap, South Korea's news agency. The missile traveled approximately 450 kilometers before falling into the sea outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

This launch occurred just days after North Korea conducted several short-range ballistic missile tests on September 12, following a five-day military exercise involving South Korea, the United States, and Japan. These recent missile launches bring North Korea's total ballistic missile tests this year to at least 15, spanning nine separate instances, according to Shinjiro Koizumi, Japan's defense minister, during a press conference on Sunday.

North Korea is known for regularly testing ballistic missiles and other weapon systems, a practice experts interpret as an effort to enhance military capabilities and display strength. However, the isolated nation under the leadership of Kim Jong Un is generally prohibited from firing ballistic missiles due to multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions.