North Korea fired a projectile into the Sea of Japan, a South Korean Defense Ministry official told CNN.

The unidentified object was fired Monday morning local time from Tongchang-ri, in the country's North Pyongan province.

South Korea and the United States are currently holding military exercises, which North Korea has denounced as usual, CNN reported.

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"Now that the US imperialists and the South Korean puppet forces again kicked off the dangerous nuclear war drills against the [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] at its doorstep, our army will counter them with the toughest counteractions," North Korea said through state media.

The Associated Press reported that the objects were banned ballistic missiles.