North Korea launches a short-range ballistic missile toward sea, South Korea says

South Korea says North Korea has launched a short-range ballistic missile toward the seaSEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile toward the waters off its east coast on Thursday, South Korea's military said, the latest in a series of weapons tests by North Korea this year.The military detected the launch from North Korea's eastern coastal Wonsan area around 5 p.m. (0900 GMT), the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.It said South Korea's military has bolstered its surveillance posture and is closely coordinating with the U.S. and Japan. Japan’s Defense Ministry also said that North Korea fired a possible ballistic missile but there was no impact in or around Japan. North Korea has been focusing on enlarging its nuclear and missile arsenals since leader Kim Jong Un’s high-stakes diplomacy with U.S. President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019. Experts say the North Korean leader wants international recognition as a nuclear state so that he can demand the lifting of international economic sanctions on North Korea.Last month, Kim supervised tests of a nuclear-capable cruise missile and other weapons aboard a new 5,000-ton destroyer. After yea...