North Korea fires ballistic missile toward East Sea

Key facts

• North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Thursday.
• The launch was detected by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) around 5 p.m. from the Wonsan area.
• The missile landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.
• The launch follows North Korea's dismissal of a UN nuclear watchdog resolution and condemnation of a recent U.S.-led naval drill.
• Kim Yo Jong blamed U.S.-led military drills for escalating tensions and vowed to strengthen North Korea's nuclear arsenal.

North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile toward its eastern coast on Thursday, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The JCS detected the launch around 5 p.m. from the Wonsan area, with the missile traveling toward the East Sea.

Japan's defense ministry confirmed the launch, stating that the missile appeared to land outside Japan's exclusive economic zone. South Korea's military has increased surveillance and is collaborating with the United States to analyze the specifics of the launch.

The missile firing occurs amid a backdrop of heightened regional tensions. North Korea recently dismissed a resolution from the UN nuclear watchdog concerning its nuclear program and previously condemned a U.S.-led naval drill involving South Korea and Japan that concluded on September 10.

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, on Friday attributed the escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula to U.S.-led military exercises. She vowed that North Korea would not alter its course of strengthening its nuclear arsenal.