Authorities determined the single missile was launched from Pyongyang's Ryongsong area at about 2:50 a.m. Analysis of the launch is ongoing; however, the South Korean military has stated the projectile flew some 400 kilometers before falling into the Sea of Japan.
Earlier, the Japanese Defense Ministry said North Korea test-fired three short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan. The missiles flew over a distance of 350 kilometers (217 miles), reaching a maximum altitude of 100 kilometers (62 miles).
All of the missiles had landed outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone.
The previous test-firing carried out by Pyongyang earlier on Saturday came after South Korea had successfully test-fired a solid-fuel carrier rocket on Friday, as part of its efforts to strengthen space-based reconnaissance capabilities, according to South Korea's Defense Ministry.
28 December 2022, 01:22 GMT
This year alone, North Korea launched ballistic missiles 38 times, with a total of 67 missiles fired. In addition, Pyongyang tested cruise missiles three times.