The Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) says North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile(SRBM) toward the Yellow Sea on Thursday.

The JCS said the North fired the missile from the western port city of Nampo at around 6:20 p.m.

The last ballistic missile launch by Pyongyang was 17 days ago when it fired two SRBMs toward the East Sea from Sukchon in South Pyongan Province.

The JCS said the South’s military has raised its monitoring and vigilance levels and is maintaining full defense readiness while cooperating closely with the U.S.

The latest provocation comes amid continuous protests by Pyongyang over various field training drills South Korea and the U.S. have conducted recently ahead of their combined springtime “Freedom Shield” military exercise set to kick off next week.

[Photo : YONHAP News]