North Korea launched a ballistic missile Saturday, the Japanese government said, marking the ninth in a series of missile tests by Pyongyang this year, Kyodo News reported.

The missile is believed to have fallen outside Japan's exclusive economic zone after flying about 300 kilometers apparently on a lofted trajectory and reaching an altitude of about 550 km, the Defense Ministry said, adding no damage has been reported.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said that what it described as a suspected ballistic missile was launched from an area near Sunan in Pyongyang toward the Sea of Japan at around 8:48 a.m.

The projectile is believed to have been launched from a high angle on a lofted trajectory to limit its flight distance, similar to North Korea's missile firing in late February.

South Korea's military was aware of signs that a launch would take place, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The Japanese government lodged a protest with North Korea via the Japanese Embassy in Beijing, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi told reporters in Tokyo. The latter and Pyongyang do not have diplomatic relations.