North Korea fires ballistic missile into sea, Seoul says

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Saturday. 

"Our military detected a ballistic missile launched from the Wonsan area of North Korea toward the East Sea," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan.

The test came amid heightened tensions between the countries.Land mine blasts injured three South Korean soldiers last month. South Korea and the US-led UN Command have said North Korean mines caused the blasts.

On Friday, ​Pyongyang's Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of ​leader Kim Jong Un, dismissed Seoul's demand for an apology over the blasts in the Demilitarised Zone, the heavily fortified 4-kilometer-wide (2.5-mile) area between the two Koreas.

Seoul called on Pyongyang to end efforts to fortify the border, including the use of mines and anti-tank barriers.

Kim Yo Jong called those demands "utterly pathetic," adding that the North intended to cut ties with the South.

The projectile launch on Saturday came after weeks of North Korean military displays, including tests of a purported hypersonic missile system, live-fire exercises and the commissioning of a new warship.

Kim Jong Un has also continued to flaunt his growing nuclear program despite US calls to revive diplomacy.

If you rely on our team for trusted reporting, please take a moment to select us as your Preferred Source on Google so you'll always see our verified news first.