The South Korean military says North Korea fired a ballistic missile towards North Korea's eastern waters in the early hours of Saturday, Dec. 31, AP NEWS reported..

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This is North Korea's first missile launch in eight days and comes five days after South Korea accused Pyongyang of launching five drones into South Korean airspace for the first time since 2017..

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South Korean warplanes and helicopters failed to shoot down any of the North Korean drones seen south of the border before they flew home or disappeared from South Korean radar..

One of them flew to the northern part of Seoul. It raised concerns for the safety of many in the South, for which the military issued a rare public apology on Tuesday..

North Korea has tested more than 70 ballistic and cruise missiles this year. Some experts believe that North Korea is seeking to modernize its arsenal and increase its influence in future relations with the United States..

The EU also condemns the significant increase in North Korea's " EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell.