Seoul: North Korea fired another ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Wednesday afternoon, just hours after launching multiple short-range ballistic missiles earlier in the day, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The JCS noted the detection of the launch but did not provide additional details.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the morning provocation involved short-range ballistic missiles launched from North Korea's Wonsan area at approximately 8:50 a.m. These missiles traveled around 240 kilometers before landing in the sea. This latest activity marks North Korea's fifth confirmed ballistic missile launch this year.

On Tuesday, North Korea also fired an unidentified projectile from the Pyongyang area, which is currently under analysis by South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities. The projectile, believed to have been launched Tuesday morning, vanished shortly after firing, indicating a possible failure. These consecutive launches follow President Lee Jae Myung's expression of regret during a Cabinet meeting on Monday regarding drone flights by individuals into North Korea. He noted that these incidents have unnecessarily escalated military tension with Pyongyang.

Following President Lee's remarks, Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, issued a statement acknowledging Lee's "frank and broad-minded" attitude. However, North Korea's first vice foreign minister, Jang Kum-chol, later dismissed South Korea's optimistic interpretation of Kim's message, describing it as a "pipe dream" and emphasizing that South Korea remains North Korea's "most hostile state."

The North last launched multiple ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on March 14 during annual South Korea-U.S. military drills. North Korean state media reported the next day that a firepower strike drill involving 600-millimeter ultra-precision multiple rocket launchers had been conducted.

In response to Wednesday morning's initial launch, the JCS stated it is closely monitoring North Korea and has shared pertinent information with the U.S. "Our military is closely monitoring North Korea's various movements under a robust South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture and maintains the capabilities and posture to respond to any provocation in an overwhelming manner," the JCS said.

So far, Pyongyang has not released any statement regarding the consecutive missile launches.