North Korea fired at least one short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Thursday. South Korea's military detected the launch of the unidentified projectile from the eastern coastal Wonsan area around 5 p.m., noting that it landed outside Japan's EEZ.
The missile launch came a day after Pyongyang warned of fresh military steps and vowed to pursue additional military options in response to Japan's expanding defense capabilities.
This test is stirring fresh friction with Japan and serves as the latest example of growing military tensions in the Indo-Pacific. North Korea has repeatedly declared itself an irreversible nuclear state since the 2019 summit between leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump collapsed over the scope of denuclearisation and sanctions relief.