Military officials in South Korea and Japan say North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Sunday in what could be the first test since the nuclear-armed country conducted a record number of launches in January.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile toward the sea from its east coast from a location near Sunan, where Pyongyang's international airport is located.
The airport has been the site of missile tests, including a pair of short-range ballistic missiles fired on January 16.
Japan's Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said Sunday's missile could have flown up to 300 km up to an altitude of 600 km.
"There have been continuous launches since the beginning of the year, and North Korea is rapidly developing ballistic missile technology," Kishi said in a televised statement. He said North Korea is a threat to the security of Japan, the region and the international community.
North Korea's last test was on January 30, when it fired the Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile.