North Korea launches suspected ballistic missile toward sea

North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile into the sea on Wednesday, marking its second launch of this type of weapon in under a week, Japan's Ministry of Defense announced. The suspected projectile fell into the water, according to the ministry.

The South Korean military also reported that North Korea launched an unidentified projectile off its eastern coast, according to Yonhap News Agency. This latest launch follows closely on the heels of an announcement by South Korea and the United States that they would commence their annual large-scale military drills next week. These exercises are intended to bolster readiness against North Korean threats.

Pyongyang typically reacts with anger to these joint military drills, viewing them as a rehearsal for an invasion. In the past, North Korea has responded to major joint military exercises between Seoul and Washington with provocative weapons tests and strong rhetoric.

Last week, South Korea, the U.S., and Japan detected the launch of a short-range ballistic missile from North Korea, which was considered the first ballistic weapons test activity by Pyongyang since late June. North Korea has not officially confirmed this latest launch, although it usually releases details of weapons tests the following day.