South Korea, US fire missiles into sea in response to Pyongyang's test

The South Korean and US militaries fired a volley of missiles into the sea in response to North Korea firing a ballistic missile over Japan, Seoul said on Wednesday, as global condemnation mounted over Pyongyang's likely longest-ever test.

North Korea fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) over Japan for the first time in five years on Tuesday, prompting Tokyo to issue evacuation warnings for some residents.

South Korea and the United States staged a drill of their own in response, firing ground-to-ground missiles into the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan. Both militaries fired two Army Tactical Missile System short-range ballistic missiles into the water "to precisely strike a virtual target", the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

The military also confirmed that a South Korean missile failed soon after it was launched and crashed, without causing any casualties.

The missile drill came a day after South Korean and US fighter jets carried out a bombing drill at a virtual target in the Yellow Sea.

The joint drills aim to "make sure that we have the military capabilities at the ready to respond to provocations by the North if it comes to that", US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told CNN.