North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile

According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea launched a ballistic missile off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula on Sunday, CNN reported.

The missile was launched from North Korea's Sunan region at roughly 7.52 a.m. local time, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

North Korea launched "at least one ballistic missile," according to Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, which travelled 300 kilometres (186 miles) and reached a maximum altitude of 600 kilometres (373 miles).

Pyongyang hasn't fired a missile since January 30 local time, when it claimed to have launched a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), its longest-range missile since 2017. The missile used in Sunday's test was of a lower range than the one used in the last test, according to the estimates provided by Japan.

According to the Blue House, the South Korean presidential office, South Korea's National Security Council (NSC) said the launch was "undesirable" for peace stabilisation while the world tries to resolve the Ukraine conflict.

The North Korean missile test was also met with "deep worry and profound regret" by the NSC, which urged the North to "immediately cease activities opposed to peaceful resolution through negotiation."

The latest launch comes fewer than two weeks before the March 9 presidential election in South Korea, in which North Korea is expected to be a major campaign issue. Analysts predict conservative contender Yoon Suk Yeol, if elected, to adopt a far tougher stance towards the North than incumbent President Moon Jae-in.