Pyongyang launches missile before US-South Korea exercises.

(RT) ⸻ North Korea has fired a long-range ballistic missile from its east coast into the sea, a day after warning Washington and Seoul that it would issue a "strong" response to upcoming military exercises between the two allied nations. The missile was estimated to have splashed down in waters around 125 miles to the west of Oshimo Island off the coast of Hokkaido, inside Japan's exclusive economic zone. The launch, which was North Korea's first since January 1, comes a day after Pyongyang issued a stern rebuke to the announcement of upcoming military drills involving South Korea and the United States. Pyongyang has previously referred to such exercises as a "dress-rehearsal" for a full-scale invasion. The North Korean leadership has maintained that weapons development is a necessary deterrent to oppose Washington's "hostile policies". The country also passed a law last year which authorizes the launch of pre-emptive nuclear strikes under certain conditions.