Details on the projectile’s range or type were not immediately disclosed.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the launch, following a separate unidentified projectile fired near North Korea’s capital region on Tuesday.

South Korean and US intelligence agencies are analysing the earlier launch.

Earlier this week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed a test of an upgraded solid-fuel engine for missiles, describing it as a major step in strengthening the country’s strategic military capabilities.

Solid-fuel missiles are easier to transport and conceal than liquid-fuel weapons, which require fuelling prior to launch and have limited operational windows.

The test, North Korea’s first of this kind in seven months, aligns with Kim’s stated objective of developing more mobile and harder-to-detect missiles capable of targeting the US and its allies.

South Korea’s intelligence service told lawmakers on Monday that the engine trial may be part of North Korea’s efforts to produce a more powerful missile capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads.

Since the collapse of high-profile diplomacy with US President Donald Trump in 2019, North Korea has accelerated its nuclear development.

During a Workers’ Party congress in February, Kim signalled willingness for dialogue with Washington, but insisted that the US drop its demands for complete nuclear disarmament as a condition for talks.