North Korea fires missile toward sea, South Korea says

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the North’s eastern waters Saturday morning, South Korea’s military said.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff gave no further details on the launch, such as the specific type of weapon Pyongyang launched or how far it travelled.

It’s the latest in a barrage of weapons tests by North Korea this year. Some experts say North Korea is seeking to perfect its weapons technology and boost its leverage in future dealings with the United States.

Saturday’s launch came five days after North Korea allegedly flew drones into South Korea’s airspace for the first time since 2017.