SEOUL/TOKYO, Jan 11 (Reuters) - North Korea fired what was believed to a ballistic missile on Tuesday, South Korea's military and the Japanese coast guard said, the second apparent missile launch in less than a week after the reclusive state's leader urged more military advances.

The suspected ballistic missile launch was detected around 7:27 a.m. (2227 GMT) from an inland area of North Korea toward the ocean off its east coast, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement.

The projectile appeared to have landed outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the Kyodo news agency reported, citing government sources in Tokyo.

"That North Korea continues to launch missiles is extremely regrettable," Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters, noting the United Nations had just finished holding discussions on how to respond to last week's launch of what North Korea claimed was a "hypersonic missile."

The launches by nuclear-armed North Korea underscored leader Kim Jong Un's New Year's vow to bolster the military to counter an unstable international situation amid stalled talks with South Korea and the United States.

"The (South Korean) military is maintaining a readiness posture while closely monitoring related trends under close cooperation between (South Korea) and the U.S. in preparation for additional launches," the JCS statement said.

South Korean and U.S. intelligence agencies are conducting detailed analysis for additional information, it added.