North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea on January 27, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. The missile traveled about 350 kilometers before landing in the sea.

This was North Korea’s second missile launch of the year. The test came just hours after U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby left South Korea for Japan, following a three-day visit.

South Korea strongly condemned the launch. The Office of National Security at Cheong Wa Dae held an emergency meeting and called the missile test a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. Officials urged North Korea to immediately stop such actions.

According to South Korean and Japanese defense authorities, North Korea fired several missiles around 3:50 p.m. from an area north of Pyongyang. The missiles were aimed toward an uninhabited testing area off North Hamgyong Province. Japan confirmed that none of the missiles landed inside its exclusive economic zone.

The South Korean military said it has increased surveillance and remains on high alert. It is also closely sharing information with the United States and Japan while analyzing details such as the missile type and flight path.

Military experts believe the launch may have involved a 600-millimeter super-large multiple rocket launcher, which has a range of up to 400 kilometers and is believed to be designed to target South Korea. 

Earlier this month, on January 4, North Korea test-fired a hypersonic missile toward the East Sea. That launch happened just one day before a South Korea–China summit. The missile reportedly flew about 900 kilometers and was believed to be part of North Korea’s KN-23 missile series.

South Korean and allied forces continue to monitor the situation closely amid rising regional tensions.