RTSun, 12 Feb 2017 01:08 UTC
© Yonhap News
South Korean and Pentagon officials have said. Although the projectile
landed into the sea before reaching Japan's economic zone, it alarmed the military amid Pyongyang's claim of developing an ICBM.
"The flight distance was about 500 kilometres, and South Korea and the United States are conducting a close-up analysis on additional information," South Korea's Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
A Pentagon official has confirmed to Reuters they detected a missile launch and were assessing the type of the missile in question.
It was not immediately clear if the rocket was of a known type, or the alleged new intercontinental ballistic missile, which Kim Jong Un said Pyongyang was preparing to test in his New Year speech.
Comment: North Korea has no intention of reining in its missile program. Launches are becoming regular news in a small, but growing list of achievements. While pesky and worrisome, NK is currently a bogeyman that offers the US a convenient focus point near Russian and Chinese territory.
Comment: North Korea has no intention of reining in its missile program. Launches are becoming regular news in a small, but growing list of achievements. While pesky and worrisome, NK is currently a bogeyman that offers the US a convenient focus point near Russian and Chinese territory.