North Korea launches ballistic missile towards sea, South Korea claims

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (centre) makes inspections as he tours munitions factories in North Korea. Photo / Korean Central News Agency / Korea News Service via AP

North Korea fired a ballistic missile towards the sea on Sunday in its first missile launch in about a month, its neighbours said.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launch occurred on Sunday but gave no further details, such as how far the weapon flew.

Japan’s Defence Ministry also said it detected a possible ballistic missile launch by North Korea but gave no other details.

It is the North’s first missile launch since it test-fired its Hwasong-18 solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile, the North’s most advanced weapon, on December 18. The Hwasong-18 is designed to strike the United States’ mainland.

Sunday’s launch came days after North Korea fired a barrage of artillery shells near the tense sea border with South Korea, prompting South Korea to conduct similar firing exercises in the same area.

In recent days, North Korea has also been escalating its warlike rhetoric against its rivals. Earlier this week, leader Kim Jong Un called South Korea “our principal enemy” and threatened to annihilate it if provoked.

Experts say Kim will likely further raise animosities by test-firing more missiles to try to raise the stakes in the standoff with his rivals and influence the results of South Korea’s parliamentary elections in April and the US presidential election in November.

In a key ruling party meeting in late December, Kim vowed to expand his nuclear arsenal and launch additional spy satellites to cope with what he called US-led confrontational moves.