North Korea has fired a ballistic missile off its east coast into the Sea of Japan.
A South Korean defence ministry spokesman said the missile was fired from Sukchon in the country’s southwest at 5.55am local time on Thursday.
The South Korean military said it was closely tracking and monitoring the situation and maintaining a readiness posture for any North Korean provocation.
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The launch has been confirmed by U.S. officials.
RT reports:
The rocket flew some 800 kilometers before plunging into the sea, according to Yonhap. The type of the rocket was not immediately known, but the agency citing the Joint Chiefs of Staff alleged it to have been a medium range Rodong missile.
US officials confirmed that a missile launched from North Korean territory had been detected and tracked, according to Reuters.
The latest in a series of controversial military test comes shortly after Washington introduced new sanctions against the North, blocking businesses from any dealings with Pyongyang, including transportation, mining, energy or financial services.
BREAKING: South Korea says North Korea has fired a ballistic missile into the sea.
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 17, 2016
