South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) says North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile at around 4:59 p.m. Sunday from Pukchang, South Pyongan Province. 

The JCS said the missile flew about 500 kilometers before landing in the East Sea and that it is trying to find out the type of missile and other details in cooperation with the United States.  

The JCS says the missile is not presumed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM) and that, given its flight distance, the launch doesn't seem to be a failure. 

The missile launch comes one week after the North fired what it called a Hwasong-12 ballistic missile. It's also the second missile provocation since President Moon Jae-in was sworn in as South Korea's 19th president. 

Presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun said President Moon Jae-in ordered National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong to convene a National Security Council meeting at 6 p.m. 

The Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the North's missile provocation, calling it "reckless and irresponsible." 

The South Korean military is maintaining a high level of alert to prepare against further North Korean provocations. 

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