North Korea has fired a suspected ballistic missile off its east coast in what would be the first of the New Year, with reports of an "unidentified projectile" being launched.
Japan's Coast Guard first stated what it believed to be the firing of a ballistic missile on Wednesday by the nuclear-armed state.
"Since last year, North Korea has repeatedly launched missiles, which is very regrettable," Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said after the launch.
An "unidentified projectile" was fired towards the East Sea from North Korea, was also reported by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.
There are no reports of damage or casualties.
It comes days after leader Kim Jong Un vowed to continue developing the military to counter an unstable international situation.
United Nations Security Council resolutions ban all ballistic missile tests by North Korea, and have imposed sanctions over the programmes.
North Korea is under international sanctions over its nuclear weapons programme but since the start of the pandemic it has become even more isolated, imposing border lockdowns that have slowed trade to a trickle and choking off any in-person diplomatic engagements.
It has also stuck to a self-imposed moratorium on testing its largest intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) or nuclear weapons. The last tests of ICBMs or a nuclear bomb were in 2017, before Kim launched a diplomatic overture to the United States and South Korea that has since stalled.
But the country has continued test firing new, short-range ballistic missiles including one last October as tension continues to simmer in the region.
The rogue state was test-firing a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile, adding to concerns over its technological advances in hard-to-intercept weapons.
Pyongyang has been steadily developing its weapons programme amid a standoff over talks aimed at dismantling its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes in return for US sanctions relief.
Analysts say North Korea is seeking to normalise its defence activities with the aim of eventually winning international acceptance of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile arsenals.
Much of North Korea's large conventional artillery force is deployed along the fortified border with South Korea, where they have the range to reach as far as the heavily populated capital city of Seoul.
At a regular news briefing on Monday, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price reiterated the United States desire for dialogue with North Korea aimed at increasing the security of the United States and its allies in the region.
He repeated that Washington had no hostile intent towards North Korea and was prepared to meet without preconditions.
