North Korea Launches Ballistic Missile Into Sea Pyongyang ratchets up pressure in face of U.S. sanctions and South Korea military drills By Alastair Gale and Kwanwoo Jun

http://www.wsj.com/articles/north-korea-launches-ballistic-missile-into-sea-1458261785

KERRY’S RESPONSE ““We call again on North Korea to refrain from actions that further raise tensions in the region and focus instead on taking concrete steps toward fulfilling its international commitments and obligations.” That’ll learn em…..rsk

SEOUL—North Korea fired a midrange ballistic missile into the sea early Friday as it continues annual military exercises and protests new U.S.-led sanctions.

The missile was launched from an area northwest of Pyongyang at 5:55 a.m. local time and flew about 800 kilometers (500 miles) before crashing off the Korean Peninsula’s eastern coast, a spokesman for Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

Military officials said that the projectile was likely one of North Korea’s Rodong-type missiles and appeared to have been fired from a mobile launcher. The last test firing of a Rodong missile was in 2014, they said.

North Korea fired another projectile from the same area around 20 minutes later but it disappeared from radar screens shortly after launch, the officials said. Further analysis is needed to conclude whether it broke up or there was an error in the radar system, they said.U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry issued a statement condemning the launches.

“We call again on North Korea to refrain from actions that further raise tensions in the region and focus instead on taking concrete steps toward fulfilling its international commitments and obligations,” he said.

North Korea is barred from testing ballistic missiles and nuclear explosives under United Nations’ resolutions, but leader Kim Jong Un recently pledged to continue testing both. CONTINUE AT SITE

 

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