UPDATE - North Korea fires ‘ballistic missile’: South Korean military

ADDS DETAILS, CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE

By Busra Nur Cakmak

ANKARA (AA) - North Korea fired “an apparent ballistic missile” toward the Sea of Japan, the South Korean military said Saturday, according to media reports.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) informed reporters about the launch in a text message, saying it happened at 8.48 a.m. local time, Yonhap news agency reported.

“Currently, our military is tracking and monitoring (North Korean) movements regarding the possibility of an additional launch and maintaining a readiness posture," it said.

According to the South Korean military, the missile flew roughly 270 kilometers (168 miles) at a height of 550 kilometers (342 miles).

The Japanese government said the missile is believed to have fallen outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, Japanese news agency Kyodo reported.

Japan also issued a diplomatic note to Pyongyang.

"This series of actions by North Korea is absolutely unacceptable, as it threatens the peace and security of our country and the international community," said Japan’s Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi.

It is the ninth launch this year from North Korea and came four days before South Korea's presidential election, according to Yonhap.

North Korea fired a ballistic missile Feb. 27, resuming tests after a gap of almost one month, according to officials in Japan and South Korea.