North Korea fires possible ballistic missile toward sea

North Korea fired an unidentified projectile toward waters off its east coast on Thursday, South Korea's military said.

Japan said it could have been a ballistic missile. Its Coast Guard said the object had already fallen from the sky.

The incident came hours after US President Donald Trump said he would meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year.

US-South Korea military drills shortened

The news also comes as South Korea and the US continue military drills that are set to end Friday after Trump's order to significantly reduce US participation.

He described the war games as "inappropriate and hostile," on Wednesday as he announced he would meet Kim later this year,

"These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile, to a Country that, as long as Donald J. Trump has been President, has been unthreatening and respectful," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of Kim Jong Un, dismissed Trump’s move, saying, "The provocative, aggressive nature of the drills won't change even though their duration and size were reduced."

"If the US calculates that it can propagate its recent measure as the one of so-called good faith, they will not get the desired answer," she added.

This is a breaking story. Please refresh for updates...