North Korea on Sunday launched a suspected ballistic missile, the latest in a string of provocative actions that have been denounced by its neighbors as threatening peace in the region, Report informs via CNN.
The missile was launched shortly after 11 a.m. local time, according to Japan’s Ministry of Defense and the South Korean army.
The missile reached a maximum altitude of approximately 50km and flew a distance of approximately 800km, according to Japan’s defense ministry. It was fired from the Dongchang-ri area of North Pyongan province in North Korea and landed in the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, according to the South Korean military.
After it landed, the Japan Coast Guard cautioned all vessels to await further information; to not approach fallen objects; and to report anything suspicious.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the military had strengthened surveillance and vigilance in preparation for additional launches “while maintaining a full readiness posture through close cooperation with the US.”
The news follows a flurry of missile tests by North Korea, including the launch of a long-range ballistic missile on Thursday as leaders from South Korea and Japan met in Tokyo, and the firing of two cruise missiles from a submarine and two short-range ballistic missiles days before.