North Korea tests missile ahead of US-South Korea drills

North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile off its east coast towards Japan early on Wednesday, its neighbors said, just days before US-South Korea Joint Military drills which Pyongyang views as invasion rehearsals.

"Our military detected at around 6:00 am (2100 GMT on Tuesday) a ballistic missile launched by North Korea from the Wonsan area towards the East Sea," Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a message to reporters.

Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi called the launch a "threat to peace and security in our region," adding that Tokyo had lodged a strong protest with North Korea through diplomatic channels in Beijing.

"It's a serious problem that affects the safety of the Japanese people," he said at a press conference.

Here's what we know about North Korea's test-launch from Japan:

The suspected ballistic missile launch came just two days after South Korea and the US announced that they will kick off their annual joint military drills on August 17.

The upcoming drills are a regular summer feature, designed to coordinate their defense against the nuclear-armed Pyongyang .

North Korea has condemned these drills on several occasions before, often staging missile tests before and after the exercises.