India, Aug. 12 -- North Korea fired a ballistic missile towards the East Sea on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, marking the country's second such launch in less than a week amid heightened tensions over an upcoming joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) told Yonhap News Agency that it detected the missile being launched from the Wonsan area on North Korea's east coast at around 6 a.m.

The missile travelled more than 700 kilometres, while South Korean and U.S. authorities are conducting a detailed analysis of its specifications, according to the JCS, Yonhap reported.

The timing of Wednesday's launch is significant, as South Korea and the United States are scheduled to b...