The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced the North Korean launch took place at around 4 a.m. but did not elaborate further, pending an analysis, Yonhap news agency reported.
“While strengthening our monitoring and vigilance, our military is maintaining a full readiness posture in close cooperation with the United States,” the JCS said in a text message sent to reporters.
South Korea and the US wrapped up the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise on Thursday. The North has denounced the drills as a rehearsal for invasion.
As part of the UFS, South Korea and the US have staged combined air drills, involving at least one US B-1B strategic bomber, above the Korean Peninsula.
In response, North Korea launched a military command post drill involving the scenario of occupying South Korean territory and fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward waters off its east coast earlier this week.
North Korea claimed that the missile launch on Wednesday night was a tactical nuclear strike drill simulating “scorched-earth” strikes against major command centres and airfields in South Korea.
In March, North Korea said it launched strategic cruise missiles “tipped with a test warhead simulating a nuclear warhead”.
–IANS
int/sha