North Korea fires ballistic missiles

South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that North Korea has launched a ballistic missile off the east coast of the Korean peninsula.

According to CNN, the South Korean military said it was closely tracking and monitoring the situation and maintaining a readiness posture for any North Korean provocation.

The development comes a week after North Korea fired two missiles from North Hwanghae province, south of Pyongyang, toward the sea east of the Korean Peninsula, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned North Korea's actions and called on the country "to exercise self-restraint" adding that Japan would take "precautionary measures," including surveillance.