North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile Into Sea Of Japan

North Korea has fired a ballistic missile into the waters off its east coast, amid worries that Pyongyang might soon conduct banned nuclear or long-range rocket tests.

The firing was made on the eve of a visit by China's President Xi Jinping to the US to meet President Donald Trump and as North Korea expressed anger over annual military drills between the US and South Korea.

A US statement said initial assessments indicate the type of missile was a KN-15 medium-range ballistic missile launched from the eastern city of Sinpo.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff issued a similar assessment, saying the missile flew about 40 miles - a much shorter distance than other North Korean missiles travelled in their recent test launches.

Two weeks ago the South Korean and US militaries said they had detected a failed North Korean ballistic missile launch.

South Korean media speculated at the time that North Korea might have attempted to test a missile that it has not deployed.

Earlier in March, North Korea fired four ballistic missiles that flew about 620 miles, with three of them landing in waters that Japan claims as its exclusive economic zone.

The North's latest launch came as outside satellite imagery show possible preparations for a new nuclear test at the North's main nuclear test site, such as communication cables used to initiate a test and collect data being already laid.

North Korea's state media has also said the world will soon witness what it calls "eventful successes" the country achieves in the space development.

Washington, Seoul and others call the North's space programme a cover for its long-range missile development scheme.

North Korea is pushing hard to upgrade its weapons systems to cope with what it calls US hostility.

Many weapons experts say the North could have a functioning nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the continental US within a few years. North Korea carried out two nuclear tests last year.

North Korea also often responds to US-South Korean military drills with its own military training and harsh rhetoric.

The allies say the drills set to run until the end of this month are defensive in nature.