Pyongyang, North Korea - For the seventh time in two weeks, North Korea has fired a ballistic missile toward the waters off its eastern coast, governments in the region said early Sunday.

Japan's government confirmed the launch in a statement, while South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported it, citing the military. There were no further details about the weapon or how far it flew.

The launch came hours after South Korean and US forces concluded another provocative joint naval maneuver that included the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan.

North Korea's National Aerospace Development Administration on Saturday justified the missile launches as a self-defense measure against the United States and its repeated military exercises in the region.

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They would not pose a threat to the region's immediate neighbors, it said in a statement published by North Korean state news agency KCNA.

On Tuesday, North Korea fired a medium-range missile over Japan for the first time in five years, sparking a fresh round of international condemnation.

UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from testing ballistic missiles of any range, which depending on their design can also carry a nuclear warhead.