North Korea launches apparent ballistic missile

North Korea launched an apparent ballistic missiles, the Defense Ministry said late Sunday, with the missile landing outside the country's exclusive economic zone.

The Japan Coast Guard said the missile appeared to have landed outside the EEZ, which extends 200 nautical miles (370 km) from its coast.

The move comes days after a senior South Korean official said Pyongyang could soon test fire a new intercontinental ballistic missile. It was not immediately clear what type of missile had been fired, but the weapon's flight time appeared to indicate it may have been a shorter-range missile.

A senior South Korean official said last week that Pyongyang could soon test fire a new intercontinental ballistic missile. South Korea's military also reported the launch of a missile, the Yonhap news agency said. The launch came hours after a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine arrived in the South Korean port city of Busan on Sunday.