Kathmandu— North Korea launched a ballistic missile towards the Sea of Japan on Wednesday, marking its second such test in less than a week, according to officials in Seoul and Tokyo. The launch occurred as South Korea and the United States announced plans to hold their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military drills beginning August 17th. Experts suggest the tests are a direct response to the planned exercises, signaling Pyongyang’s continued opposition to joint military training. The missile reportedly traveled over 700km (435 miles) before falling into the sea.

Recent Missile Activity

This latest launch follows another short-range ballistic missile test from the Wonsan area on August 6th, bringing North Korea’s suspected number of ballistic missile tests this year to eleven. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff detected Wednesday’s missile at approximately 6:00 am local time (21:00 GMT Tuesday), and has increased surveillance in coordination with the United States and Japan. Japan’s Defence Ministry confirmed the launch via social media, stating that the missile had already fallen without providing further details.

Escalating Regional Tensions

North Korea routinely views South Korea-US joint military exercises as provocative rehearsals for invasion, often responding with weapons tests and strong rhetoric. The upcoming Ulchi Freedom Shield training is scheduled to run for eleven days starting Monday, involving approximately 18,000 South Korean soldiers. Lim Eul-chul, a North Korea expert at Kyungnam University, explained that Pyongyang closely monitors these drills and may escalate tensions if it perceives a threat. “North Korea has never simply let a South Korea-US joint military exercise pass without a response,” he said.

Pyongyang’s Criticism of Japan

Beyond the military exercises, North Korea has also intensified its criticism of Japan's defense policies in recent months. State media have issued at least seven statements since July condemning Tokyo’s approach to security. On Tuesday, Pyongyang labeled Japan’s latest defense white paper as “re-invasion-minded,” accusing it of justifying an arms buildup by falsely portraying North Korea as a strategic threat.

North Korea has not yet confirmed the reported launch, and its intentions remain unclear. The international community continues to monitor the situation closely for further developments.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.