North Korea fires ballistic missile into sea off east coast, claims South

Recent launches follow agreement between South Korea and the United States to deploy advanced anti-missile system in the South

North Korean military parade in 2013 (Ed Jones/Getty)

North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Wednesday from its western region into the sea off its east coast, South Korea's military said, the latest in a series of launches in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions.

Wednesday's launch was from a region in South Hwanghae province to the southwest of the capital, Pyongyang, the South Korea's Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. South Korean military officials did not immediately have further details.

On 19 July, North Korea fired three ballistic missiles that flew between 300 and 360 miles into the sea off its east coast.

The North later said the launches were part of an exercise simulating pre-emptive strikes against South Korean ports and airfields used by the US military.

The launches follow the agreement last month between South Korea and the United States to deploy an advanced Terminal High Altitude Area Defence anti-missile system in the South.

North Korea had threatened a “physical response” against the deployment decision.

Reuters