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North Korea fires ballistic missile ahead of major US-South Korea military drills
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Yahoo News Singapore - Latest News & Headlines
South Korea's and Japan's defence authorities said the missile flew around 700 km (435 miles) and they both issued statements condemning the action.
Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementSouth Korea's Office of National Security convened an emergency meeting, expressing concern over North Korea's continued ballistic missile launches following a previous launch on August 6.
South Korea's military said it was maintaining readiness to respond "overwhelmingly" to any provocation under its combined defence posture with the United States.
North Korea launched the missile from the Wonsan area on its east coast at around 6 a.m. (2100 GMT on Tuesday), South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
The launch came as South Korea and the United States plan to conduct major joint military drills from August 17 to 27, aimed at countering North Korea's evolving nuclear and weapons capabilities.