A timeline of North Korea's missile tests in 2017

Ahead of the G20 summit in Germany later this week, North Korea test-launched a ballistic missile from its western region into the sea off its east coast on Tuesday, South Korea's military said.

The missile flew for about 40 minutes and landed in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Japanese government said, adding it had strongly protested what it called a clear violation of UN resolutions.

Since the beginning of 2017, North Korea has conducted more than 10 such tests, at an unprecedented rate that has sent regional tensions soaring.

Even though the UN Security Council adopted its latest sanctions resolution in early June after North Korea conducted three ballistic missile test launches in May, Pyongyang routinely rejects such moves, saying they infringe on its sovereign right to self-defence and space exploration.

Here's a timeline of the missile launches and tests that North Korea carried out this year:

Feb 12, 2017: North Korea fires its first ballistic missile KN-15, in 2017, in what is seen as a show of force against the leaders of the US and Japan reaffirming their security alliance. The missile flew 500 kilometres and landed in the Sea of Japan.

March 6, 2017: Four Scud missiles are fired, with three of them falling into Japan's EEZ, extending 321 kilometres from its shoreline.

March 21, 2017: A mobile-launched missile is tested near Kalma in eastern Wonsan province, which explodes "within seconds of launch."

As it exploded soon after the launch, US officials could not identify the type of missile tested

April 4, 2017: On April 4, a day before when Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to meet President Trump at Mar-a-Lago and discuss how to curb North Korea's missile and nuclear programmes, a KN-17 missile launch comes.

The timing of the launch is an embarrassment for Xi as China is one of the closest allies of North Korea.

April 16, 2017: Defying warnings from the Trump administration to avoid any further provocations, KN-17 ballistic missile is fired that explodes almost immediately after launch.

April 29, 2017: In an attempt to defy US's push for tougher international sanctions against Pyongyang's nuclear weapons, the country test-fires another ballistic missile from the Pukchang region. The missile reaches an altitude of 71 kilometres before disintegrating a few minutes into the flight.

May 14, 2017: Only four days after the inauguration of South Korea's new leader Moon Jae-In, North Korea fires a ballistic missile, in an apparent bid to test the South Korea's new president who backs engagement with Pyongyang.

The missile is launched from a site near the northwestern city of Kusong at around 5:30 am local time Sunday (2030 GMT Saturday) and flies about 700 kilometres, according to the South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

May 21, 2017: North Korea launches a medium-range ballistic missile, Pyongyang's state media reported, adding the weapon is now ready to be deployed for military action.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency says the missile tested was the Pukguksong-2, a land-based version of Pyongyang's submarine-launched missile, which uses solid-fuel which allows for immediate firing.

The test fuels a fresh chorus of international condemnation and threats of tougher United Nations sanctions.

May 29, 2017: North Korea fires a ballistic missile that lands in the sea off its east coast. The missile believed to be a Scud-class ballistic missile and flies about 450 kilometres, according to the South Korean officials.

June 8, 2017: A volley of surface-to-ship cruise missiles are fired off North Korea's east coast, less than a week after the UN expands sanctions against Kim Jong-Un's regime in response to various ballistic missile tests.

The short-range missiles fly some 200 kilometres before falling into the Sea of Japan.

June 22, 2017: North Korea carries out another test of a rocket engine that the US believes could be part of its program to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The disclosure of the engine test comes a day after the US pressed China to exert more economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea to help rein in its nuclear and missile programmes during a round of high-level talks in Washington.

July 4, 2017:

North Korea test-launches a ballistic missile which flies 930 kilometres in 40 minutes before falling into Japan's exclusive economic zone, Seoul and Tokyo said.

The launch comes ahead of the G20 summit on July 7-8 in Hamburg, Germany, where the United States, China, Japan and South Korea are expected to discuss efforts to rein in the North's nuclear and missile tests.