North Korea fired a ballistic missile ahead of major US-South Korean military exercise, army says

North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan off the Korean Peninsula's east coast on Wednesday, South Korea's military reported. The missile appeared to have landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, according to NHK. Following the launch, South Korea's presidential office convened a meeting to demand an end to provocations. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi instructed authorities to "take all possible measures for precaution." This marks the second missile launch by North Korea in less than a week. The South Korean military stated the missile was fired from the Wonsan area. South Korea's military has increased surveillance and is maintaining readiness for potential further launches, while coordinating closely with the U.S. and Japan. The launch comes as South Korea and the U.S. are preparing for major joint military drills scheduled from August 17 to 27. These exercises are intended to counter North Korea's advancing nuclear and weapons capabilities. Pyongyang has historically condemned these annual drills as provocations. Earlier this week, North Korean state media criticized Japan's latest defense white paper, labeling it an attempt to revive militarism and justify an arms buildup based on an "unfounded portrayal" of Pyongyang as a security threat. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asserted that Russia has recently employed North Korean ballistic missiles. He stated that Moscow used such a missile during a Russian attack on Tuesday, which resulted in the deaths of seven workers at a steel plant in Zaporizhzhia. Zelensky claimed that Russia, for the first time, is relying on North Korean reinforcements to wage war, including receiving additional ballistic missiles.

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take all possible measures for precaution