Japanese government officials say North Korea has launched its first ballistic missile of 2024. They say it seems to have dropped into the Sea of Japan.

Japanese defense officials said the North fired the missile at about 2:53 p.m. on Sunday from its inland area toward the northeast. They estimated it flew more than 500 kilometers, with a maximum height of over 50 kilometers.

They said the missile appears to have already fallen outside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone, close to the Korean Peninsula.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff also confirmed the launch, saying the North fired an intermediate range class ballistic missile toward the east from nearby Pyongyang.

North Korea repeatedly launched various types of missiles last year, as it strived to improve its capabilities.

Last month, North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile and an ICBM-class Hwasong-18 on two consecutive days.

Pyongyang had earlier gone ahead with its third launch of what it called a military reconnaissance satellite, after two failed attempts in May and August last year.

The North announced that its satellite had successfully entered into orbit.