The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Saturday fired a short-range ballistic missile into its eastern waters, local media reported on Saturday.

The DPRK launched what was believed to be a Scud-type missile into its eastern waters in a northeasterly direction from Jangsan Cape in the western coastal region of its Hwanghae-do province at around 9:40 p.m. local time, and the range is estimated at about 500 kilometers, Yonhap quoted the South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) as saying.

The JCS said in a statement that Pyongyang did not impose a no-fly, no-sail zone before the launch.

The JCS said they are analyzing the purpose of the launch, adding that South Korean military has kept utmost combat readiness in case of more possible launches.

It was the DPRK's 15th launch of missiles or artillery shells this year. The DPRK has launched more than 90 short- and medium- range missiles and shells since Feb. 21.

Also on Saturday, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un guided a rocket firing drill of the Strategic Force of the Korean People's Army (KPA), one day ahead of the 61st anniversary of the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement.

Kim examined the test-fire plan which mapped out the location of the U.S. military bases in South Korea before the exercise started. The drill, which simulated battles to strike those U.S. forces in South Korea, proved the high combat capability of the fire strike unit and the perfect performance of the tactical rocket, the official KCNA news agency reported.

Kim expressed great satisfaction with the drill and said the U. S. harsh hostile policy toward the DPRK has not changed at all since the 1950s.

"Whoever dares challenge the just cause of the service personnel and people of the DPRK is bound to meet a final ruin," he stressed, calling for wiping out U.S. forces in South Korea and their followers at an early date and realizing national reunification.

The KCNA reported on July 10 that the DPRK had conducted a tactical rocket firing drill of the strategic force of the KPA, and its top leader Kim Jong Un gave field guidance on the drill.

The Korean War came to a ceasefire on July 27, 1953, when the Armistice Agreement was signed in Panmunjom on the border of the DPRK and South Korea. But the war is not officially over because no peace treaty has ever been signed.

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