The latest launch comes as the US and South Korea continue their largest military exercises in years (Photo: EPA)

North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile into the sea off the Korean peninsula last week. according to his neighbours.

The move was condemned as a provocation by key nuclear officials in the US, Japan and South Korea.

The range of the missile – it traveled a distance of about 500 miles – suggests that South Korea could be a target of the weapon.

Japan’s defense ministry said it also flew about 30 miles high.

On Thursday, the north launched an ICBM into the Sea of ​​Japan, the weapon used was later confirmed to be the Hwasong-17.

Known as the country’s ‘monster rocket’, it is the world’s largest road-mobile liquid fuel ICBM.

It was tested just hours before South Korean President Yook Suk-yeol was scheduled to fly to Tokyo for talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Both united at the summit in part with the goal of restoring security ties between US allies in the face of North Korea’s nuclear threat.

State media quoted leader Kim Jong-un as saying Thursday’s launch was designed to “instill fear in the enemy”.

North Korea confirmed the launch of its Hwasong-17 missile days after it was spotted by South Korea and Japan (Photo: EPA)

Testing activities are ramping up as the US and South Korea hold the largest military exercises of their kind in years.

In response to the recent launch, the South said the exercises would continue as it remained prepared to respond “overwhelmingly” to any North Korean provocation.

The Biden administration wants better ties between South Korea and Japan, marred by historic problems in recent years, as it pushes to strengthen its alliance network in Asia to counter the North Korean nuclear threat and growing Chinese influence.

On Sunday, the US flew at least one long-range B-1B bomber for joint air training with South Korean fighter jets.

epa10531286 People watch the news on a transmitter in Seoul, South Korea, March 19, 2023. North launched a ballistic missile into the Baltic Sea during joint military exercises between the US and South, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). Korea. EPA/JEON HEON-KYUN

According to local news reports, the US and South Korea are planning further training with a US aircraft carrier later this month after their current exercises are completed (Photo: EPA).

The deployment of the aircraft, which can carry a massive payload of conventional weapons, has also previously been met with responsive missile test launches from the north.

Toshiro Ino, Japan’s deputy defense minister, said there were no reports of damage from Sunday’s test launch as it landed outside the country’s exclusive economic zone.

However, he said the activity posed a “threat” to the security of Japan, the region and the international community and “absolutely cannot be tolerated”.

The missile likely has an erratic trajectory, he said, which could be a reference to North Korea’s highly maneuverable nuclear-powered KN-23 missile.

The US Indo-Pacific Command said the launch posed no immediate threat to US territory or its allies, but stressed “the destabilizing effect of [North Korea’s] illegal weapons programs.

It added that US security commitments to South Korea and Japan remain “rock solid”.

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