North Korea fires long-range ballistic missile, South Korea says

SEOUL -North Korea fired a suspected long-range ballistic missile towards the sea off its east coast on Thursday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, a day after Seoul reported the North was making preparations to test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The launch, at a sharply raised angle, was from an area near the North's capital, Pyongyang, at 7:10 a.m. , the Joint Chiefs said in a statement. It did not confirm whether the missile had dropped.

"It is believed the North Korea ballistic missile is a long-range ballistic missile fired at a high angle," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.