TOKYO — North Korea fired a ballistic missile Friday night which landed in the ocean off Japan, Japanese officials said.

“I have received information that North Korea once again conducted a missile firing,” he said. “We will immediately analyze information and do our utmost to protect the safety of the Japanese people.”

There was no immediate announcement of the type of missile. On July 4, North Korea test-launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile.

Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said the missile launched Friday flew for about 45 minutes and landed off the Japanese coast in waters between Japan and the Korean Peninsula.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK said the coast guard issued safety warnings to aircraft and ships.

South Korea and the United States also confirmed the launch.

“We are assessing and will have more information soon,” said Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched from North Korea’s northern Jagang province.

Analysts say the “Hwasong 14” ICBM launched by North Korea on July 4 could be capable of reaching most of Alaska or possibly Hawaii if fired in an attacking trajectory. It was launched at a very steep angle, a technique called lofting, and reached a height of more than 2,500 kilometres (1,550 miles) before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean 930 kilometres (580 miles) away. </s> SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea launched a ballistic missile on Friday that traveled farther than its first test of a similar missile earlier this month, officials from the United States, South Korea and Japan reported.

South Korean officials have said that in the earlier, July 4th test of the Hwasong-14, the North’s ICBM demonstrated a range capable of reaching Alaska, but that it remains unclear whether the North has mastered all technologies needed to deliver a nuclear warhead to targets in the continental United States.

In Tokyo on Friday, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, said the latest North Korean missile flew for about 45 minutes before landing off Hokkaido, the northernmost Japanese island. The flight time suggests that the missile may have a range greater than any the North has tested previously.

In the earlier test, the Hwasong-14 flew about 39 minutes and for a distance of 578 horizontal miles, but it was launched at a highly lofted angle, reaching an altitude of 1,740 miles. Had it been launched on a standard trajectory, it would have flown around 4,200 miles, missile experts said.

In a report to the National Assembly earlier this month, the South Korean Defense Ministry said the Hwasong-14 could have a range of up to 4,970 miles, enough to hit Alaska and possibly Hawaii. </s> PYONGYANG, Korea, Democratic People's Republic Of — North Korea launched a ballistic missile Friday night which flew longer than any of its previous missiles and landed in the ocean off Japan, according to officials from Japan, South Korea and the United States.

Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said officials were analyzing whether it was a second test of an intercontinental ballistic missile. On July 4, North Korea test-launched its first ICBM in a major step toward its goal of developing nuclear-armed missiles capable of reaching the United States.

Suga said the missile launched Friday flew for about 45 minutes — about five minutes longer than the ICBM on July 4 — and landed west of Japan's island of Hokkaido. He said Japan has lodged a strong protest with North Korea.

"North Korea's repeated provocative acts absolutely cannot be accepted," he said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the launch "a serious and real threat" to the security of Japan, and said it would co-operate closely with the U.S., South Korea and other nations to further step up pressure on North Korea.

South Korea and the United States also confirmed the launch.

"We are assessing and will have more information soon," said Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched from North Korea's northern Jagang province near the border with China. President Moon Jae-in was presiding over an emergency meeting of the National Security Council, Moon's office said.

Yoji Koda, a retired admiral in Japan's Maritime Self Defence Force, said in an interview with Japanese public broadcaster NHK that information that the missile flew 45 minutes and landed west of Hokkaido suggests it was most likely another ICBM.

Jeffrey Lewis, a missile and nonproliferation expert with the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, said in tweet that early data from the test suggest a missile with a range of about 10,000 kilometres (6,250 miles) that would be capable of reaching targets deep into the United States mainland. </s> North Korea: Donald Trump tweets on missile launch, suggests China could 'end this nonsense'

Updated

North Korea has launched another ballistic missile in the direction of Japan, prompting US President Donald Trump to declare it is "hard to believe South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer".

Key points: The missile flew about 930 kilometres before landing in the Sea of Japan

The launch was criticised by the US, Japan and South Korea

Leaders will discuss North Korea at this week's G20 summit

The intermediate-range ballistic missile "greatly exceeded" an altitude of 2,500 kilometres, Japan's Defence Ministry said, and flew about 930 kilometres for around 40 minutes before landing in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone.

The launch added to a string of recent test-firings as the North works to build a nuclear-tipped missile that could reach the US.

On Twitter Mr Trump, presumably referring to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, questioned whether "this guy [has] anything better to do with his life".

Mr Trump went on to suggest China could "perhaps" take action against North Korea "and end this nonsense once and for all!"

The missile was launched about 10:40am (AEST) from an airfield in Panghyon, about 100 kilometres north-west of the North's capital, Pyongyang, the South Korean military said.

South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said the military was analysing the missile, and examining the possibility it may have been an intercontinental ballistic missile-class (ICBM) rocket.

Mr Moon told a national security council meeting at the presidential Blue House that he was deeply disappointed North Korea had launched the missile only days after he and Mr Trump called for restraint.

It was the fourth ballistic missile launched by the North since Mr Moon took office in May, vowing to use dialogue as well as pressure to bring Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes under control.

The US military's Pacific Command said the projectile was a single, land-based intermediate range ballistic missile, and was tracked for 37 minutes before it landed in the Sea of Japan.

"The North American Aerospace Defence Command assessed that the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America," it said in a statement.

Japan's Abe to call for 'solidarity' on North Korea

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said North Korea was ignoring repeated warnings from the international community, and flagged that he will ask the presidents of China and Russia to play more constructive roles in efforts to stop its arms programme.

The launch came ahead of a summit of leaders from the Group of 20 countries in Germany later this week.

The leaders of the US, China, Japan and South Korea are expected to discuss efforts to rein in the North's nuclear and missile tests at the talks on July 7 to 8.

"Leaders of the world will gather at the G20 meeting. I would like to strongly call for solidarity of the international community on the North Korean issue," Mr Abe told reporters.

The missile launch also comes ahead of July 4 Independence Day celebrations in the United States.

North Korea has previously fired missiles around the US holiday.

The launch would be the latest in a series by North Korea since the start of the year and comes just one day after Mr Trump spoke to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about the issue.

Reuters/AP

Topics: world-politics, unrest-conflict-and-war, korea-democratic-peoples-republic-of

First posted </s> PYONGYANG, North Korea — North Korea test-fired on Friday its second intercontinental ballistic missile, which flew longer and higher than its first ICBM launched earlier this month, officials said.

“We assess that this missile was an intercontinental ballistic missile, as had been expected,” Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said in Washington.

The missile was launched on very high trajectory, which limited the distance it traveled, and landed west of Japan’s island of Hokkaido.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called it a “serious and real threat” to the country’s security. North Korea’s development of ICBM technology is a major step toward its goal of developing nuclear-armed missiles capable of reaching as far as the United States.

Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said the missile, launched late Friday night, flew for about 45 minutes — about five minutes longer than the ICBM North Korea test-fired on July 4. He said Japan has lodged a strong protest with North Korea.

“North Korea’s repeated provocative acts absolutely cannot be accepted,” he said.

Prime Minister Abe said Japan would cooperate closely with the U.S., South Korea and other nations to step up pressure on North Korea to halt its missile programs.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile reached an estimated height of 3,700 kilometers (2,300 miles) before landing at sea about 1,000 kilometers (625 miles) away. It appeared to be more advanced than the ICBM North Korea previously launched, it said.

The “Hwasong 14” ICBM test-fired earlier this month was also launched at a very steep angle, a technique called lofting, and reached a height of more than 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) before splashing down in the ocean 930 kilometers (580 miles) away. Analysts said that missile could be capable of reaching most of Alaska or possibly Hawaii if fired in an attacking trajectory.

Jeffrey Lewis, a missile and nonproliferation expert with the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, said in tweet that early data from Friday’s test suggest a missile with a range of about 10,000 kilometers (6,250 miles) that would be capable of reaching targets deep into the United States mainland.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched from North Korea’s northern Jagang province near the border with China. President Moon Jae-in presided over an emergency meeting of the National Security Council, which called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council and stronger sanctions on North Korea.

There was no immediate confirmation of the launch by North Korea. The day’s broadcast on state-run television had already ended when the news broke at around midnight Pyongyang time.

July 27 is a major national holiday in North Korea called Victory in the Fatherland Liberation War Day, marking the day when the armistice was signed ending the 1950-53 Korean War. That armistice is yet to be replaced with a peace treaty, leaving the Korean Peninsula technically in a state of war.

North Korea generally waits hours or sometimes a day or more before announcing launches, often with a raft of photos in the ruling party newspaper or on the television news. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is usually shown at the site to observe and supervise major launches.

Late night launches are rare. North Korea usually conducts its missile and underground nuclear tests in the morning. It’s likely the North launched the missile at night and from the remote province of Jagang to demonstrate its operational versatility. To have a real deterrent, it’s important for North Korea to prove it can launch whenever and wherever it chooses, making it harder for foreign military observers trying to detect their activities ahead of time. </s> "North Korea fired an unidentified missile eastward from the vicinity of Pyongyang this morning," the JCS said . The missile reached an altitude of 770 km and covered a distance of 3,700 km before falling into the ocean, according to South Korea's military.The South Korean and US militaries are analyzing details of the launch, Reuters reports.NHK Television urged residents in Hokkaido and Tohoku regions to take shelter as the projectile passed over Japanese airspace near Hokkaido at around 7.06am local time.Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary told reporters the missile was likely "the same as before," referring to the August 29 launch over Japan. Yoshihide Suga condemned Pyongyang's missile test "in the strongest words," saying the missile passed over Hokkaido and fell into the Pacific Ocean, roughly 2,000 kilometers east of Arimori Cape.The Japanese government did not try to destroy the missile, according to reports. There's been no news of damage to aircraft and sailing vessels, or falling objects onto Japanese territory.Japan's Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, however, issued instructions to prepare for unforeseen circumstances by communicating prompt and accurate information to citizens.The North Korean launch comes shortly after South Korea staged a ballistic missile training drill in the Sea of Japan. The South Korean president has been notified and has immediately convened a National Security Council meeting.Just prior to the launch, Pyongyang warned that it was time to "annihilate" the US, to "sink" Japan and to "wipe out" South Korea following the adoption of a new UN Security Council sanctions resolution this week, in response to the regime's recent nuclear test.The 15-member United Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously approved a new round of sanctions Monday, targeting North Korea's textile exports and its oil imports.On August 29, North Korea launched a ballistic missile over Northern Japan. The Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile is believed to have flown about 1,700 miles (2,735km) and reached a height of 341 miles (548km) before falling into the Pacific Ocean.After a number of last minute compromises, China and Russia supported the latest round of sanctions against Pyongyang Monday. While strongly condemning North Korea's actions, Moscow and Beijing continue to insist on the implementation of the so-called "double-freeze" proposal, which calls for Pyongyang to suspend its nuclear and ballistic missile tests in exchange for a halt to joint US-South Korea military drills.Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are rapidly mounting with North Korea defiantly continuing its missile and nuclear tests and the US, South Korean and Japanese militaries regularly holding drills in the region, accompanied by strong rhetoric by Washington. Pyongyang says the boosting of its missile and nuclear program is justified as its only means of defense should these military maneuvers escalate into a direct confrontation. </s> An initial assessment shows that North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) today that flew for more than 40 minutes, traveling 620 miles horizontally into the Sea of Japan, a U.S. official said.

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"The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America," Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said in a statement.

The launch was detected at about 10:41 a.m. ET (11:41 p.m. local time).

On Saturday morning local time, the U.S. and South Korea fired short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan "as a show of force" in response to North Korea's launch, the U.S. military said in a statement.

The missile was launched near an arms plant from Mupyong-ni, in the far north of North Korea, and traveled about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) before splashing down in the Sea of Japan. The landing was inside of Japan’s Economic Exclusion Zone, about 88 nautical miles west of Hokkaido. Davis said the missile was in the air for at least 40 minutes.

"Our commitment to the defense of our allies, including the Republic of Korea and Japan, in the face of these threats, remains ironclad. We remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies from any attack or provocation," Davis said.

In a statement, President Donald Trump condemned the launch, saying that North Korea's "second such test in less than a month" is the "latest reckless and dangerous action" by Kim Jong Un's regime.

KRT via AP Video

"The United States condemns this test and rejects the regime’s claim that these tests — and these weapons — ensure North Korea’s security," Trump said. "In reality, they have the opposite effect. By threatening the world, these weapons and tests further isolate North Korea, weaken its economy, and deprive its people."

Trump also said the U.S. will take "all necessary steps to ensure the security of the American homeland and protect our allies in the region."

Following today’s missile launch, Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Adm. Harry Harris of the U.S. Pacific Command called South Korea’s top military officer to express their iron-clad commitments to the U.S.-South Korean security alliance and to discuss military response options, David said.

Today's ballistic missile launch is North Korea’s 11th ballistic missile test this year and the first since North Korea launched an historic ICBM on July 4, an action U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said represented "a new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners, the region and the world."

That ICBM flew at a trajectory of 1,730 miles above Earth for 37 minutes before crashing into the Sea of Japan.

A U.S. official told ABC News earlier this week that North Korea could test another ICBM as early as Wednesday night.

U.S. officials had suspected a test could occur on July 27 to mark the North Korean holiday known as "Day of Victory," which celebrates the end of hostilities in the Korean War in 1953.

But rainy weather at the launch location and technical difficulties appeared to have prevented a launch until late Friday night. </s> Japan warned on Saturday that the new North Korean projectiles have trajectories that are not typical for conventional ballistic missiles which makes it difficult to intercept them.

The new North Korean projectiles had irregular trajectories and flew at lower altitudes than conventional ballistic missiles which makes it difficult to intercept them, the Japanese Defense Ministry said, as quoted by the NHK broadcaster.

With that, the defense officials acknowledged that this type of projectiles could reach Japan as, based on findings of the US and South Korean military, the ones launched on Thursday flew about 600 km (373 miles), the report added.

According to the broadcaster, Japan is determined to work out appropriate countermeasures in close collaboration with the United States.

On Thursday, North Korea fired two projectiles from an area close to its coastal city of Wonsan. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff subsequently said that the launches were of two short-range missiles that flew around 267 miles at an altitude of 31 miles before falling into the Sea of Japan.

On Friday, North Korea’s state-run media reported that the launches were tests of a new tactical guided weapon and were observed by leader Kim Jong-un.

The reports come less than a month after Kim and US President Donald Trump met in the Korean demilitarized zone and agreed to restart denuclearization talks.

Source: Sputnik </s> TOKYO — North Korea fired a ballistic missile Friday night which flew longer than any of its previous missiles and landed in the ocean off Japan, according to officials from Japan, South Korea and the United States.

There was no immediate announcement of the type of missile. On July 4, North Korea test-launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile in a major step toward its goal of developing nuclear-armed missiles capable of reaching the United States.

Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said the missile launched Friday flew for about 45 minutes — about five minutes longer than the ICBM on July 4 — and landed west of Japan’s island of Hokkaido.

Suga said officials are analyzing whether it was an ICBM. He said Japan has lodged a strong protest with North Korea over the launch.

“North Korea’s repeated provocative acts absolutely cannot be accepted,” he said.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK said the coast guard issued safety warnings to aircraft and ships.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he called a meeting of Japan’s National Security Council.

South Korea and the United States also confirmed the launch.

“We are assessing and will have more information soon,” said Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched from North Korea’s northern Jagang province.

There was no immediate confirmation of the launch by North Korea. The day’s broadcast on state-run television had already ended when the news broke at around midnight Pyongyang time.

July 27 is a major national holiday in North Korea called Victory in the Fatherland Liberation War Day.

North Korea generally waits hours or sometimes a day or more before announcing launches, often with a raft of photos in the ruling party newspaper or on the television news. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is usually shown at the site to observe and supervise major launches.

Late night launches are rare. North Korea usually conducts its missile and underground nuclear tests in the morning. It’s likely the North launched the missile at night and from the remote province of Jagang to demonstrate its operational versatility. To have a real deterrent, it’s important for North Korea to prove it can launch whenever and wherever it chooses — making it harder for foreign military observers trying to detect their activities ahead of time.

Yoji Koda, a retired admiral in Japan’s Maritime Self Defence Force, said in an interview with NHK that information that the missile flew 45 minutes and landed west of Hokkaido suggest that it was most likely another ICBM.

Analysts say the “Hwasong 14” ICBM launched by North Korea on July 4 could be capable of reaching most of Alaska or possibly Hawaii if fired in an attacking trajectory. It was launched at a very steep angle, a technique called lofting, and reached a height of more than 2,500 kilometres (1,550 miles) before splashing down in the ocean 930 kilometres (580 miles) away.

Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, Eric Talmadge in Pyongyang, North Korea, and Robert Burns in Washington contributed to this report.
North Korea launches an intercontinental ballistic missile that flies 620 miles horizontally in about 45 minutes, landing in the Sea of Japan, according to Japan, South Korea and the United States.