North Korea fires ballistic missile into sea

North Korea has fired at least one ballistic missile towards waters off its eastern coast, prompting an emergency security meeting in South Korea and heightened monitoring by Seoul, the United States and Japan.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched from the eastern port city of Wonsan on Saturday morning. It travelled more than 700 kilometres (435 miles) before falling into the sea.

South Korea's presidential national security office convened an emergency meeting to assess the launch and its potential implications.

The South Korean military also raised its alert level for possible additional launches and said it would continue sharing intelligence with the United States and Japan.

Japan issued an emergency alert following the launch, warning that North Korea had fired what was believed to be a ballistic missile.

US Pacific Command said it was aware of the launch and was consulting with US allies and partners.

The command said its initial assessment indicated that the launch did not pose an immediate threat to US personnel or territory, or to its allies.

The missile launch came amid renewed tensions between North and South Korea, following a dispute over landmine explosions near the heavily fortified border between the two countries.

The previous day, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and a senior figure in Pyongyang's leadership, rejected South Korean demands for an apology over the explosions.

South Korea and the United Nations Command have said the blasts were caused by North Korean mines placed south of the Military Demarcation Line. Three South Korean soldiers were seriously injured while conducting a reconnaissance mission inside the 4km-wide (2.5-mile) Demilitarised Zone.

Seoul has also urged North Korea to stop strengthening its border defences, including the installation of mines and anti-tank barriers.

Kim Yo Jong dismissed South Korea's demands as "utterly pathetic" and said North Korea intended to permanently sever relations with the South.

Saturday's missile launch is the latest in a series of military activities by North Korea in recent weeks. The country has also conducted tests involving what it described as a hypersonic missile system, held live-fire exercises and commissioned a new warship.

The latest launch is expected to be closely monitored by South Korea, the United States and Japan as they assess North Korea's military intentions and the possibility of further weapons tests.