North Korea fires suspected ballistic missile, Japanese authorities say

Seoul: North Korea ​fired a suspected ballistic missile towards the sea on Thursday, Japan’s government and coastguard said.

South ‌Korean ⁠media also ⁠cited South Korea’s military as saying ​North Korea fired an unidentified projectile toward the sea ​on the east of the Korean Peninsula.

Japan’s coast guard said ​the projectile, believed to ⁠be a ballistic ‌missile, had already ​fallen.

The missile ​appeared to have landed ⁠outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone in the ​sea, NHK reported.

The news comes ​as ongoing military drills by South Korea and the U.S. were cut short to end on Friday after President Donald Trump ‌ordered a substantial reduction in U.S. participation.

North Korea’s Kim ​Yo Jong, ​sister of ⁠leader Kim Jong Un, said on Wednesday the United States’ “hostile policy” towards North Korea had ​not changed, as the drills were still going on.