North Korea launches short-range ballistic missile, says South Korean military

A short-range ballistic missile has been launched by North Korea on Saturday, South Korean military said.  

This comes as the South Korean president-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is going to take office in just three days. He has vowed to take a hard stand against the North.  

This missile seems to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), which was fired into the sea off its east coast around 0507 GMT on Saturday, the South Korean military said.  

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The short-range missile was launched from around Sinpo, where North Korea is known to keep submarines and equipment for test-firing SLBMs, media reports said.  

The projectile could be a ballistic missile, tweeted Japan's defence ministry.  

It fell around 0525 GMT said Japan's Coast Guard, on the basis of information from Japan's Ministry of Defense.  

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The projectile seems to have landed outside exclusive economic zone of Japan, said Japanese public broadcaster NHK, citing government sources.  

On Wednesday, a suspected ballistic missile was launched by North Korea, media reports said citing South Korean and Japanese officials. The missile was 14th round of weapons fired by the North.    

In a brief statement, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launch was made off North's eastern coast. North Korea has fired another possible ballistic missile, Japan's Defence Ministry said without giving another detail.

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(With inputs from agencies)