North Korea Launches Ballistic Missile Into Sea of Japan

North Korea has launched a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, according to South Korea's military's Joint Chiefs of Staff on Tuesday.

This missile launch comes shortly after North Korea's state media announced that its leader, Kim Jong Un, had supervised a successful test of a solid-fuel engine for a "new-type intermediate-range hypersonic missile".

Japan confirmed that it "appeared" North Korea had fired the missile, with the country's coastguard reporting that the missile had fallen.

This marks the third ballistic missile test conducted by North Korea this year. The previous tests included a solid-fuel missile overseen by Kim in March and another missile equipped with a manoeuvrable hypersonic warhead in January.

Last year, North Korea claimed to have successfully tested its first solid-fuelled ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile), a significant advancement in its nuclear capabilities. Solid-fuel missiles, unlike liquid-fueled ones, do not require fueling before launch, making them harder to detect and quicker to deploy.

This year, North Korea has escalated tensions by declaring South Korea its "principal enemy", dismantling agencies dedicated to reunification efforts, and threatening military action over even minor territorial disputes.