North Korea fired at least one intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) toward the Sea of Japan on Thursday (March 16th), Seoul said, hours before a visit to Tokyo by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol.

"Our army detected a long-range ballistic missile fired from the Sunan area in Pyongyang," the Joint Chiefs of Staff told AFP, adding that it was an ICBM.

Japan's Defense Ministry also confirmed the launch, saying in a tweet that the missile it estimated was "to fall outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, about 550 km east of the Korean Peninsula." The Japan Coast Guard has asked ships in the area to watch out for debris floating at sea.

It was Pyongyang's third show of force since Sunday, when South Korea and the United States held their largest joint military exercises in five years this week.

'Need to cooperate'

President Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are scheduled to meet in Tokyo on Thursday for talks on Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.

The summit is the first in 12 years between the two neighboring powers, which are seeking to repair ties long undermined by Japan's atrocities during its 35-year colonial rule over Korea (1910-1945).

"Korea and Japan increasingly need to cooperate in this time of multiple crises, as North Korea's nuclear and missile threats intensify," South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said Wednesday in an interview with several media including AFP. "We cannot afford to waste time by leaving aside the strained relations between Korea and Japan. I believe we must end the vicious circle of mutual hostility and work together to defend the common interests of our two countries," he added.

Joint military exercises

The two countries are currently increasing their defence spending and holding regular joint military exercises.

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles on Tuesday, and two strategic cruise missiles from a submarine on Sunday, hours before the start of U.S.-South Korean exercises. Dubbed "Freedom Shield", these exercises began on Monday and are expected to last ten days.

The South Korean military also revealed in early March that special forces in Washington and Seoul are also holding "Teak Knife" military maneuvers, which involve simulating precision strikes on key facilities in North Korea.

The Freedom Shield exercises focus on "the changing security environment" due to North Korea's increased aggressiveness, the allies said. North Korea views these exercises as rehearsals for an invasion and regularly promises "overwhelming" action in response to them.

With AFP

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