DHAKA: North Korea has fired a ballistic missile from a submarine off its east coast, say the US and South Korea.

The KN-11 missile was launched from waters near Sinpo and flew about 500km before falling into the Sea of Japan, a US official said, reports the BBC.

Japan’s PM said it fell inside Japan’s Air Defense Identification Zone, calling it a “reckless act”.

It comes as South Korea and the US begin annual military drills, which routinely anger Pyongyang.

Ulchi Freedom involves about 80,000 US and South Korean troops in a largely computer-simulated defense of South Korea from a fictional North Korean invasion.

North Korea, which sees these drills as a rehearsal for invasion, recently warned they were pushing the Korean peninsula towards the brink of a war and threatened a “pre-emptive nuclear strike” in retaliation.

The launch also coincided with a meeting of foreign ministers from Japan, China and South Korea in Tokyo.

BDST: 1205 HRS, AUG 24, 2016
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