North Korea fired a ballistic missile ahead of major US-South Korean military exercise, army says

North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Wednesday toward the Sea of Japan off the Korean Peninsula's east coast, South Korea's military said.

The missile appeared to have landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the sea, NHK reported.

Following the launch, South Korea's presidential office held a meeting to call for a stop to provocations, local media reported.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi instructed authorities to "take all possible measures for precaution," in a statement in response to the missile launch.

The launch was the second in under a week, according to the South Korean military.

North Korea fired the missile from the Wonsan area, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

South Korea, US preparing for major joint military drill

South Korea's military had stepped up surveillance and was maintaining readiness for possible additional launches, while closely sharing information with the US and Japan, it said.

The launch comes as South Korea and the US plan to conduct major joint military drills from August 17 to 27 to counter North Korea's evolving nuclear and weapons capabilities. Pyongyang has denounced the annual drills as a provocation in previous years.

On Tuesday, North Korean state media condemned Japan's latest defense white paper as a document aimed at reviving militarism, saying Tokyo was using what it called an unfounded portrayal of Pyongyang as a security threat to justify an arms buildup.

North Korea has conducted a series of tests this year, including short-range ballistic missiles, artillery rockets and other tactical weapons.