Seoul: North Korea test-fired intercontinental ballistic missile again. North Korea fired a long-range ballistic missile into the sea off Japan’s west coast on Saturday after warning of a strong response to military exercises by South Korea and the United States. The US and South Korea will hold joint military exercises in Washington next week.
The official news agency KCNA reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the launch of the missile at 8 am on Saturday. A ballistic missile was fired from the Pyongyang airport in the afternoon.
Japanese officials also confirmed that the missile landed inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone more than an hour after launch. Japan strongly condemned the launch. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kisihda said that this is a threat to the international community.
But Japan said there were no reports of damage to ships or aircraft. Joint officials said the missile traveled about 900 kilometers (560 miles) before impacting the sea.It was North Korea’s first missile attack since Jan. 1.