North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Thursday, just hours before the leaders of South Korea and Japan met in Tokyo.
Pyongyang aimed the long-range missile – its second weapons test this week – toward the East Sea, as the Sea of Japan is also known.
The missile was launched near North Korea's capital Pyongyang in the morning and covered about 1,000 kilometers before crashing into the sea, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in an update, describing the missile as capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
The launch comes after Pyongyang confirmed having fired Tuesday two "ground-to-ground tactical ballistic missiles" targeting an islet in the Sea of Japan off the country's east coast.
U.N. resolutions prohibit North Korea from testing ballistic missiles of any range, which – depending on their design – can also be equipped with a nuclear warhead. Pyongyang has increased the number of missile tests since last year.
Missiles with the capability to travel more than 5,500 kilometers are counted as ICBMs.
The launches came after South Korea and the United States kicked off a major joint exercise dubbed "Freedom Shield" early this week.
Pyongyang had recently threatened countermeasures should the U.S. and South Korea stage further military exercises. This was taken to mean a new series of missile tests or a new nuclear test by regional observers.
Tensions on the Korean peninsula have increased considerably again since last year, with North Korea increasingly testing nuclear-capable missiles.
On Sunday, North Korea fired two missiles from a submarine in the East Sea. This test is said to have also served as a nuclear deterrent.
Just hours after the test, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol touched down in Tokyo to meet Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
According to Yonhap, North Korea's missile tests are expected to be high on the agenda.
