North Korea fires ballistic missiles after US South Korea joint-drills

Seoul: South Korea on Sunday confirmed that its more belligerent neigbour North Korea fired an "unknown" missile, according to a report by Reuters.

The provocation followed as South Korea and the US concluded their three days of drills in international waters off Japanese Island of Okinawa.

The drill included air defence, anti-ship, anti-submarine, and maritime, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Earlier, the South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol had openly agreed to President Joe Biden for furthering military drills to deter North Korea.

Japan also reported of noticing a suspected ballistic missile launch, which coincides with the visit to Seoul by Sung Kim, the U.S point man on North Korean affairs.

U.S. Special Representative Sung Kim met his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, Kim Gunn and Takehiro Funakoshi.

Kim said that US made clear to North Korea that it is open to diplomacy and ready to discuss matters including sanctions relief.

However, last week the United States pressed for more U.N sanctions on North Korea calling out its ballistic missile programmes.

China and Russia stopped the American move with a veto dividing the U.N Security Council first time since 2006 when North Korea conducted its nuclear test, according to the report.

North Korea previously came down heavily on the joint drills calling them Washington's continued "hostile policies" toward Pyongyang, even as it talks of diplomacy.