The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) may have launched a ballistic missile, the Japan Coast Guard said on Sunday, citing the defense ministry. 
 
The maritime authority said that "the Defense Ministry reported a ballistic missile was probably fired from the direction of North Korea. We urge maritime and air vessels to monitor up-to-date information; in case fragments are found, do not approach them and report to the maritime security service."

The guard added that the missile had likely already descended.
 
The NHK broadcaster reported, citing the Japanese defense ministry, that the ballistic missile, presumably launched by the DPRK toward Japan, had landed outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone. The launch was also detected by the South Korean military. 
 
"The North launched an unidentified ballistic missile toward the East Sea [the Sea of Japan]," the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. The military did not provide details or technical parameters of the launch. 
 
It is noteworthy that this marks the first ballistic missile launch by the DPRK in 2024. Pyongyang had previously conducted a missile launch on December 18, 2023, as reported by the DPRK's state news agency KCNA.

This came shortly after Yonhap reported, citing the South Korean military, that the DPRK had fired a ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan, which has a potential range that could cover all of the United States.

The country was reportedly conducting tests of the Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). According to KCNA, the DPRK says these launches are in response to actions by the United States and South Korea in the region, aiming to assess Pyongyang's combat readiness during a nuclear war.