North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile on Sunday, opening the new year with another weapons test.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that it detected a short-range ballistic missile fired from the Ryongsong area in Pyongyang at 2:50 a.m., adding the missile flew some 400 kilometers before falling into the sea.

On Saturday, the North also fired three short-range ballistic missiles from the Chungwha County area in North Hwanghae Province toward the East Sea.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency confirmed the launches on Sunday, saying that the North fired "super-large" caliber artillery shells on Saturday and Sunday in sample tests.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reportedly said on Saturday during a party meeting that the rocket launcher put all of South Korea within striking distance and is capable of carrying a tactical nuclear warhead.

The North’s missile launch for a second straight day could be a response to South Korea's Friday test launch of a solid-fuel rocket for its plan to launch its first spy satellite.