North Korea launches suspected ballistic missile

Kim Jong-un had earlier vowed to quickly bolster nuclear arsenal and threatened to use it against rivals

North Korea launched a suspected ballistic missile toward its eastern waters on Wednesday, South Korean and Japanese officials said, a few days after the North Korean ruler, Kim Jong-un, vowed to bolster his nuclear arsenal at the fastest possible pace" and threatened to use nuclear weapons against other countries.

The launch, the North's 14th round of weapons firing, also came six days before a new South Korean president takes office for a single five-year term.