North Korea launches first ballistic missile since September

North Korea "launched an unidentified ballistic missile eastward from the vicinity of Pyongsong ... at dawn today," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff announced Tuesday. Pyongsong is located approximately 20 miles from the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, The New York Times reports. The Japanese prime minister's office said the missile crashed into its exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan, CNBC reports.

The launch was not wholly unexpected, with Japan picking up "suspicious" radio signals ahead of the test. Tuesday's launch marks North Korea's first test since September, when it fired a ballistic missile over Japan and conducted an underground nuclear test.

Starting this week, Hawaii is reportedly reviving its nuclear warning siren system for the first time since the Cold War, CNN reports. A South Korean minister warned Tuesday that "we cannot rule out the possibility of North Korea declaring the completion of their nuclear program next year."

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