North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the sea off its east coast on Friday, South Korea and Japan said, marking the latest in a series of weapons tests as tensions rise despite renewed diplomatic overtures from Washington.

Missile Fired Amid Diplomatic Uncertainty

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the suspected short-range ballistic missile was fired from North Korea’s northwest region near the Chinese border. It travelled roughly 700 kilometres (435 miles) before landing in waters outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

South Korean and U.S. surveillance systems detected and tracked the missile throughout its flight, sharing data with Japan, officials said. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed that there were no reports of damage.

The launch follows sever

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