Sharjah24 – Reuters: North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the sea to the east of the Korean peninsula on Saturday, militaries in the region said, an apparent test just days before the South's presidential election.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the launch of one ballistic missile, and the office of Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida also said it was a suspected ballistic missile.

U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said it condemns North Korea's ballistic missile launch, calling on the reclusive regime to refrain from further destabilising acts.

The launch was the ninth this year. The last was on Feb. 27 when North Korea said it tested systems for a reconnaissance satellite.

The South Korean military said Saturday's launch came from a location near Sunan, where Pyongyang's international airport is located. The region has been the site of previous tests, including the Feb. 27 launch.