North Korea fires unidentified ballistic missile: Seoul military

South Korea's military has said North Korea has fired at least one ballistic missile toward its eastern waters.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday didn’t immediately release other details. It wasn’t clear what type of ballistic weapon it was or how far it flew.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said North Korea’s latest missile is believed to have fallen outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

She added that authorities have not confirmed any reports of damage linked to the launch.

The latest tensions come a day after the South Korean intelligence agency claimed on Wednesday that North Korea is ready for its seventh nuclear test and could promptly carry it out if Kim Jong-un makes a decision, according to Yonhap News.

During a closed-door meeting of the Parliamentary Intelligence Committee, the Defence Intelligence Agency officials briefed the lawmakers and shared their assessment.

"If Kim makes a decision to conduct a nuclear test utilising the No. 3 tunnel at Punggye-ri, it can be carried out in a short time," Ruling Democratic Party lawmaker Park Sun-won and opposition People Power Party's Lee Seong-kweun told reporters after the meeting.

The North's launch follows the firing of multiple short-range missiles last month.