Title: South Korean Military: North Korea Launches Short-range Missile

The South Korean military confirmed that North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile towards the Yellow Sea today, Thursday. The launch follows a statement made on Tuesday by Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who said that any attempt to intercept one of North Korea's test missiles would be considered a declaration of war. The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that the missile was fired around 6:20 PM (0920 GMT) from the Nampo area in North Korea. The official Korean Central News Agency reported on Tuesday that North Korea blames a joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea for the rising tensions. The United States and South Korea will conduct large-scale military exercises known as "Freedom Shield" starting next week.