North Korea ‘has fired ballistic missile towards the Sea of Japan’ | North Korea

North Korea has fired a ballistic missile towards the sea off its east coast, according to South Korea’s military leaders.

The South Korean joint chiefs of staff said: “The North has launched an unidentified ballistic missile toward the East Sea,” referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan.

Japan’s defence ministry also said it had detected a suspected ballistic missile launch.

The leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, called for more than double the production of tactical guided weapons on his latest visit to a munitions factory, state media reported on Sunday.

In recent weeks, Kim has made a series of visits to factories that build weapons, as well as to a nuclear-powered submarine, and has overseen missile tests ahead of next year’s Ninth Party Congress of the Workers’ Party, convened to set out major policy goals.

North Korea staged a ballistic missile test in November, after the US president, Donald Trump, approved South Korea’s plan to build a nuclear-powered submarine.

Pyongyang has significantly stepped up missile testing in recent years.

Analysts said this drive is aimed at improving precision strike capabilities, challenging the United States as well as South Korea and testing weapons before potentially exporting them to Russia.

Reuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report