North Korea fires ballistic missile, restarting weapons tests

The Sunday launch is Pyongyang's eighth so far this year, including test-firing its most powerful missile since high-profile negotiations between leader Kim Jong Un and then US president Donald Trump collapsed in 2017. Diplomacy has languished ever since.

Despite biting international sanctions, Pyongyang has doubled down on military development and last month threatened to abandon a self-imposed moratorium on firing long-range and nuclear weapons.

Analysts had widely predicted Pyongyang would seek to capitalise on US distraction over Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Thursday with new tests.

South Korea's military said Sunday it had detected a ballistic missile fired towards the Sea of Japan at 07:52 local time (2252 GMT Saturday) from Pyongyang.

"The latest ballistic missile has a range of around 300 kilometres and an altitude of around 620 kilometres and details are under close analysis by South Korean and US intelligence," it added. Japan also confirmed the launch.

South Korea's presidential Blue House expressed "deep concern and grave regret", and criticised the timing "when the world is making efforts to resolve the Ukraine war".

"With the US interest shifted to Europe over the Ukraine crisis and the UN Security Council unable to function, Pyongyang is seizing the opportunity," Shin Beom-chul, a researcher at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, told AFP.

North Korea sees this as a perfect moment to "continue its development of necessary weapons and to strengthen its nuclear arsenal", with a view to being recognised as a nuclear power, he added.

The recent pause in testing during the Beijing Winter Olympics was seen as a mark of deference to key diplomatic ally and economic benefactor China.

The latest launch also comes as South Korea gears up to elect its next president on March 9.