Seoul: North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile off East Coast

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea says North Korea has fired a ballistic missile into the waters off its east coast.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff says in a statement that the missile fired from the North’s eastern coastal town of Sinpo on Wednesday morning flew about 60 kilometers (37 miles.) It gave no further details.

The firing was made as South Korean and U.S. troops were conducting annual military drills that the North views as an invasion rehearsal.

North Korea often responds to the drills with its own military training and harsh rhetoric.

Two weeks ago, the South Korean and U.S. militaries said they detected what they called a failed North Korean ballistic missile launch.