SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea fired a ballistic missile in an eastward direction on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, the North’s first weapons testing activity in about five months. A brief statement from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff gave no further details such as how far the weapon flew. But the Joint Chiefs of Staff statement only said the latest missile was launched in an eastward direction. The launch comes days before South Korea hosts the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference. Experts earlier said North Korea could launch provocative missile tests before or during the APEC summit to underscore its commitment to being recognized as a nuclear weapons state.