North Korea fires ballistic missile eastward, Seoul says

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea fired a ballistic missile in an eastward direction on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, the North’s first weapons testing activity in about five months.

A brief statement from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff gave no further details such as how far the weapon flew.

North Korea usually test-launches missiles in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, causing no damage in neighboring countries. But the Joint Chiefs of Staff statement only said the latest missile was launched in an eastward direction.

The launch comes days before South Korea hosts the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference. U.S. President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and other world leaders are to gather in the South Korean city of Gyeongju.

Experts earlier said