North Korea has launched what could be a ballistic missile, Japan s Coast Guard said early on Tuesday.
South Korea s military said North Korea had fired an unidentified projectile off the east coast on Tuesday.
Last week, a North Korea test fired a hypersonic missile that successfully hit a target, state news agency KCNA reported, as the country pursues new military capabilities amid stalled denuclearisation talks.
The country is battling food shortages and an economic crisis stemming from the long closure of its border with China during the coronavirus epidemic, while there are no signs of a resurgence of long-stalled nuclear talks with Washington.
North Korea first tested a hypersonic missile in September, joining a race led by major military powers to deploy the advanced weapons system.
Hypersonic weapons can reach targets at lower altitudes and can achieve more than five times the speed of sound or about 6,200 km per hour, or about 6,850 mph, unlike ballistic missiles that fly into outer space before returning on steep trajectories.