South Korea says North Korea launched a ballistic missile.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that North Korea launched an unidentified ballistic missile off its eastern coast on September 25.

North Korea's ballistic missile launch comes as the US deploys a carrier strike group to South Korea for joint exercises with South Korean forces. US Vice President Kamala Harris is also expected to visit South Korea.

News agency Yonhap South Korea also quoted its military as saying that North Korea had launched a ballistic missile on the morning of September 25. Meanwhile, the Japan Coast Guard, citing information from the country's Ministry of Defense, said that Pyongyang may have launched a ballistic missile.

This marks the first time a US aircraft carrier has visited South Korea since 2018. The USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group docked in Busan, 390 km south of Seoul. In addition to the USS Ronald Reagan, the US carrier strike group also includes the guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville and the destroyer USS Barry.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have continued to escalate recently. Western officials have repeatedly predicted that North Korea is about to conduct a nuclear test in recent months, claiming that its military is preparing to hold its first nuclear weapons test since 2017.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un recently declared that he would expand the country's nuclear arsenal "at the fastest possible pace," emphasizing that the military must be prepared for nuclear deployment against "hostile foreign powers at any time."

Pyongyang has increased its weapons testing activity to record levels this year, including the first launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017. This move by North Korea comes amid a stalled diplomatic dialogue with the United States and South Korea.

The most recent weapons test conducted by Pyongyang was on August 17th, when North Korea tested two cruise missiles.

Recently, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol suggested "bold initiatives" in which Seoul would provide economic aid to North Korea if Pyongyang took steps toward denuclearization. However, this offer was rejected by Pyongyang.