Pyongyang - Saba:
Yonhap News Agency reported, citing the South Korean military, that North Korea fired a ballistic missile towards the Sea of Japan, in the first launch of the new year.
The Japanese Coast Guard also announced that North Korea had launched a suspected ballistic missile. It called on ships in the area, if missile debris is discovered, not to approach it and to contact the authorities immediately.
Kyodo News Agency quoted a Japanese government source as saying: The missile launched by North Korea fell outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.
The source confirmed that the missile did not cause any damage to Japan.
The launch came at a time when US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was visiting Seoul to hold talks with South Korean allies on North Korea's nuclear threats and other issues.