North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Friday towards the sea off its east coast, South Korea and Japan said, following missile launches in the past two weeks and after US President Donald Trump's renewed invitation for talks with Pyongyang.
The US military said that North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile earlier on Friday does not pose an immediate threat to the United States or its allies, but it "highlights the destabilizing impact" of Pyongyang's actions.
"We are aware of the missile launch and are consulting closely with our allies and partners," the US military said in a statement, adding that the US remained ready to defend itself and allies in the region.
South Korea's military said the suspected short-range ballistic missile was launched from an area in North Korea's northwest region near the Chinese border, traveling a distance of about 435 miles.
South Korean and US surveillance systems detected preparations for the launch and tracked the projectile in flight, the military said. The information was shared with Japan, it said.
The Japanese government also said North Korea had fired what could be a ballistic missile, which it said likely fell outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said there was no confirmed report of damage.
North Korea threatened 'more offensive action'
North Korea's defense minister, No Kwang Chol, threatened to take "more offensive action" as he condemned the arrival of a US aircraft carrier in South Korea and the recent visit by US and Korean officials to an inter-Korean border, North Korean state media KCNA reported on Saturday.
"Recently, the US military has become brazen in its military moves to threaten the security of the DPRK, intentionally escalating the political and military tension in the region," No said.
"We will show more offensive action against the enemies' threat on the principle of ensuring security and defending peace by dint of powerful strength."
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington arrived in Busan, South Korea, this week for logistics replenishment and crew rest, according to South Korea's navy.
Trump repeated his willingness to sit down with Kim Jong Un
While visiting South Korea last week, Trump repeated his willingness to sit down with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, raising expectations that the two could come to a last-minute agreement to meet.
No meeting took place, but Trump said he was willing to return to the region to meet Kim.
Trump met Kim at the Panmunjom truce village on the inter-Korea military border in 2019 during the US president's first term when he was visiting the region.
Kim has not responded to Trump's latest overtures but has previously said he had "fond memories" of meeting the US president and there was no reason to avoid talks if Washington stopped insisting his country give up its nuclear weapons.
On Thursday, the North's foreign ministry said the Trump administration was "antagonizing" it by imposing sanctions on its officials and institutions over allegations of money laundering and vowed to respond, without elaborating.
Earlier this week, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, during a visit, reaffirmed US commitment to the security alliance with South Korea. He said the focus of the US military stationed there remained on deterring Pyongyang despite the vision of more "flexibility" for its military against regional threats.
North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles, including what it said was a hypersonic missile, and sea-to-surface cruise missiles last month, ahead of the visit by Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to South Korea during a regional summit.