North Korea launched a suspected ballistic missile on Thursday as the United States and South Korea continued joint military exercises on the Korean Peninsula, officials said.
The Japanese prime minister’s office confirmed the launch in a brief statement, while South Korea’s military said Pyongyang had fired an unidentified projectile towards the East Sea.
The latest launch comes less than a week after North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile on August 12.
Pyongyang has repeatedly criticised joint US-South Korean military exercises, describing them as evidence of Washington’s hostile policy towards the country.
The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises were reduced from 11 days to five by US President Donald Trump and are scheduled to conclude on Friday.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, acknowledged on Wednesday that relations between her brother and Trump remained “excellent,” but maintained that Washington’s broader policy towards North Korea had not changed.
She pointed specifically to the continuation of US-South Korean military exercises, describing them as an expression of hostility towards Pyongyang.
Meanwhile, South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said on Thursday that renewed direct talks between Washington and Pyongyang could provide a crucial first step towards halting North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme.
Chung said encouraging a meeting between the two sides should be a priority, arguing that stopping further development of North Korea’s nuclear programme would serve the interests of all parties.