North Korea Launches Ballistic Missile into Sea Near Korean Peninsula

North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile into the sea on Sunday, near the eastern shores of the Korean Peninsula, according to reports from Reuters citing South Korea and Japan.

The missile, fired from the Dongchang-ri test site on the western coast at around 11:05 local time, traveled approximately 800 kilometers before hitting its target, South Korean military officials stated. Japan's Ministry of Defense reported that the missile flew at an altitude of 50 kilometers.

Seoul condemned the recent North Korean ballistic missile launches, calling them a "blatant violation" of United Nations Security Council resolutions. Immediately after the launch, South Korea's Ministry of National Defense announced that the U.S. had deployed a B-1B strategic bomber for joint air exercises, which, according to Seoul and Washington, are aimed at strengthening extended deterrence.

The launches have also drawn criticism from Tokyo and Washington. "North Korea's behavior poses a threat to international peace and security and is unacceptable," said Japan's Deputy Minister of Defense Toshiro Ino at a press conference, adding that Japan made a strong protest through North Korea's embassy in Beijing.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command stated that the Sunday launch does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or their allies. However, it emphasized that the recent missile launches highlight the destabilizing effects of North Korea's illegal weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.

On Thursday, North Korea allegedly fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, just hours before the South Korean president was set to travel to Tokyo to discuss ways to counter North Korea. Pyongyang indicated that Thursday's launch was a warning against U.S.-South Korean military exercises, according to state media KCNA.