North Korea launched a ballistic missile Thursday toward its eastern waters, South Korea�s military said.

The launch was the North�s sixth round of weapons firings in less than two weeks, which has prompted condemnation from the United States and other countries.

South Korea�s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launch was made Thursday morning but gave no further details like how far the weapon flew.

Thursday�s launch came two days after North Korea fired an intermediate-range missile over Japan for the first time in five years. Foreign experts said the missile fired Tuesday involved an intermediate-range weapon capable of reaching the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam and beyond.

The North�s flurry of weapons tests in recent days came after the United States staged military drills with South Korea and Japan in the waters off the Korean Peninsula�s east coast. North Korea views such drills as an invasion rehearsal.

After Tuesday�s launch, the United States, Britain, France, Albania, Norway and Ireland called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

North Korea�s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Thursday that it strongly condemns �the Korean People�s Army on South Korea-U.S. joint drills escalating the military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.�

North Korea carried out a record number of missile tests this year amid long-stalled diplomacy with the United States. Observers say North Korea aims to expand its nuclear arsenal to boost its leverage in future negotiations with the United States.

(AP)