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/Yonhap

North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the East Sea on the 12th.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the South Korean military detected one ballistic missile launched from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea around 6 a.m. that day.

The missile flew more than 700 km, and South Korea and the U.S. are conducting a detailed analysis to determine its exact specifications. The JCS said South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities had been tracking and sharing information on the launch from the outset, and had also shared related information with Japan.

Japan's Coast Guard also said that day that the North Korean ballistic missile fell outside Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

This marks North Korea's first ballistic missile launch in six days, since the 6th. The latest provocation may be a response to the annual Korea-U.S. joint exercise "Ulchi Freedom Shield" (UFS), set to begin on the 17th.

A JCS official said, "Under a solid combined Korea-U.S. defense posture, our military is closely monitoring various North Korean movements and maintains the capability and readiness to respond overwhelmingly to any provocation."

                                                                                                             Lee Han-sol