Seoul, South Korea - North Korea fired what could be a ballistic missile early Sunday, Japan's military said, as Pyongyang returns to weapons tests following a pause during the Beijing Olympics.
In a statement, Japan's Coast Guard warned vessels in the area to be on the lookout for falling objects, noting the country's Ministry of Defense had reported a possible ballistic missile launch.
In an alert to reporters, South Korea's military said only that North Korea conducted a "projectile launch" toward the east.
There was no immediate indication of the range of the missile.
North Korea tested 11 missiles in January, a record for the nuclear-armed country. Analysts had expected North Korea to pause the tests while its neighbor and ally, China, held the Winter Olympics. The Winter Games ended a week ago.
Many analysts have said North Korea may now resume larger tests while the world's attention is focused on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
North Korea's last test, conducted January 30, involved an intermediate range missile - Pyongyang's longest-range missile test in more than four years.
