North Korea launches ballistic missile into sea, according to South Korean military

North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the sea off its east coast, as reported by the South Korean military. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that the missile was launched on Saturday. "Our military detected a ballistic missile launched from the Wonsan area of North Korea toward the East Sea," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan. The launch occurred at around 6:30 am on Saturday (2130 UTC, Friday), with the missile reportedly flying more than 700 kilometers (435 miles). According to Japanese broadcaster NHK, the missile likely landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone. The statement from Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff noted, "South Korea, the US, and Japan are maintaining a robust defense posture through close information sharing regarding North Korean ballistic missiles." Additionally, the presidential national security office in Seoul urged Pyongyang to immediately cease its repeated ballistic launches, labeling them a "serious act that does nothing to help manage the current situation" and a violation of UN Security Council sanctions. This test occurred amid heightened tensions between the countries, following land mine blasts that injured three South Korean soldiers last month, which South Korea and the US-led UN Command attributed to North Korean mines. On Friday, Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of leader Kim Jong Un, dismissed Seoul's demand for an apology regarding the blasts in the Demilitarised Zone, the heavily fortified 4-kilometer-wide (2.5-mile) area between the two Koreas. Seoul has called on Pyongyang to halt efforts to fortify the border, including the use of mines and anti-tank barriers. Kim Yo Jong described those demands as "utterly pathetic," asserting that the North intends to sever ties with the South. The missile launch on Saturday followed weeks of North Korean military displays, including tests of a purported hypersonic missile system, live-fire exercises, and the commissioning of a new warship. Kim Jong Un has continued to showcase his expanding nuclear program despite US calls to revive diplomacy.