North Korean forces reportedly launched another ballistic
missile at around 9:40 a.m. local
time, South Korean officials reported.
According to source
The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that
Tuesday's launch came from an airfield in North
Korea 's northwestern Phyongan province,
according to Reuters and Yonhap News.
The missile could have landed in Japan 's
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), according to a Japanese defense official cited
in a CNN report. Another Japanese official also corroborated the final
destination of the missile, adding that it flew for 40 minutes before landing
in Japan 's EEZ.
South Korean military officials claimed that the missile
flew over 570 miles, Yonhap reported.
US Pacific Command also confirmed the launch, adding that it
was a "single launch of a land-based intermediate range ballistic missile."
According to defense experts, this would be the thirteenth
long-range ballistic missile launch by the regime, and the fourth launch since
Moon Jae-in took office. The July 4 launch also falls on a national holiday for
the US , the
third such launch since 2006 and 2009, according to Wall Street Journal editor
Alastair Gale.
Shortly after the launch, President Donald Trump called out
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Twitter: "North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have
anything better to do with his life?"
"Hard to believe that South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer," Trump
continued. "Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"
The launch comes days after Trump met with Moon Jae-in in Washington
D.C. , where they discussed North
Korea 's provocations.
"The era of strategic
patience with the North Korean regime has failed," Trump said
in a statement after the meeting. "And, frankly, that patience is over."
Moon Jae-in also set a stern tone by saying "threats
and provocations from the North will be met with a stern response."
The launch also comes days before the G20 Summit in Germany ,
where world leaders are scheduled to assemble and address economic issues
around the world.
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