North Korea has fired a projectile into the Sea of Japan, which is also known as the East Sea, according to a South Korean Defense Ministry official.
The object was fired from the Tongchang-ri, in the country’s North Pyongan province, early Monday local time, the official said.
South Korea and the United States are currently holding their annual military exercises, known as Foal Eagle.
North Korea has already denounced this year’s exercises through state media service KCNA.
“Now that the US imperialists and the South Korean puppet forces again kicked off the dangerous nuclear war drills against the DPRK at its doorstep, our army will counter them with the toughest counteractions,” it said.
The exercises usually draw condemnation and retribution from Pyongyang.
During last year’s drills, North Korea fired multiple short to medium range missiles and announced it could place nuclear warheads on its weapons.
The firing also comes a day after Seoul quadrupled the award for North Korean defectors and nearly a month after North Korea test-fired a new type of missile, the Pukguksong-2, a medium-long range ballistic missile.
That missile was also fired from North Pyongan province and traveled 500 kilometers (310 miles) before landing in the Sea of Japan.
The launch happened while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was in the United States visiting US President Donald Trump.
North Korean state media reported that Kim Jong Un personally oversaw the operation.
