A TV screen shows a file image of North Korea’s missile launch during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea.
| Photo Credit: AP

North Korea fired a ballistic missile towards the sea off its east coast, South Korea’s military said on May 17.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff did not immediately provide details of the projectile or its trajectory.

Also read | North Korea says Kim Jong-un supervised tests of rocket launchers targeting Seoul

North Korea has launched a range of ballistic and cruise missiles as well as tactical rockets in recent months, describing them as part of a program to upgrade its defensive capabilities.

Earlier on Friday, the powerful sister of North Korea leader Kim Jong Un said its tactical rockets were intended solely as a deterrent against South Korean military aggression, while denying that Pyongyang was exporting the weapons.

The missile launch comes at the same time as a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Chinese northeastern city of Harbin.