North Korea launches a suspected ballistic missile, Japan’s says

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea fired a possible ballistic missile toward the sea on Wednesday, Japan’s Defense Ministry said, the second such weapons launch in less than a week.

The Defense Ministry said the suspected weapon has landed in the waters.

Yonhap news agency, citing South Korea’s military, reported that North Korea fired an unidentified projectile off North Korea’s east coast.

The reported launch came two days after South Korea and the United States said they will kick off their annual large-scale military drills next week to beef up readiness against North Korean threats.

The drills, called Ulchi Freedom Shield, were expected to draw an angry response from North Korea, because the country views the training as a rehearsal to invade it. North Korea has previously responded to major South Korean-U.S. military drills with provocative weapons tests and harsh rhetoric.

On Aug. 6, South Korea, the U.S. and Japan detected the launch of a short-range ballistic missile from North Korea in what was the North’s first ballistic weapons testing activity since late June. North Korea didn’t confirm the reported launch, though it usually releases details of weapons tests a day after.

The Ulchi Freedom Shield training is to start on Monday, Aug. 17, for an 11-day run and its scale will be similar to previous years with 18,000 South Korean soldiers taking part, according to South Korea's military.

North Korea has been engaging in a run of weapons tests since its leader Kim Jong Un's high-stakes diplomacy with U.S. President Donald Trump fell apart in 2019 due to disputes over international economic sanctions on North Korea.