North Korea Launches a Ballistic Missile Toward the Sea, South Korea Says

North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the sea on Wednesday, according to its neighbors, marking the second such weapons test in less than a week.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff detected the launch from North Korea's eastern coastal Wonsan area, directed toward the North's eastern waters around 6 a.m. Japan's Defense Ministry also confirmed detecting a suspected ballistic missile launch from North Korea and said the weapon did not reach Japan's exclusive economic zone.

The launches are likely in response to upcoming Korea-U.S. Military drills, which North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal. South Korea and the United States announced plans this week to begin their annual large-scale military exercises next week. The Ulchi Freedom Shield training is scheduled to start Monday, Aug. 17, for an 11-day period, involving 18,000 South Korean soldiers.

South Korea's military said it had heightened its surveillance posture and was closely coordinating information about the launch with Washington and Tokyo.

North Korea has historically responded to such joint military exercises with weapons tests and rhetoric condemning the drills as practice for attacking the country. The U.S. And South Korea maintain that their training is defensive in nature.

A similar ballistic missile launch occurred on Aug. 6, representing North Korea's first ballistic weapons test since late June. North Korea did not confirm that earlier launch, though the country typically releases details about weapons tests a day after they occur.

North Korea has conducted repeated weapons tests since diplomacy between its leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019 over disputes regarding international economic sanctions.