North Korea fires Scud-class ballistic missile into sea in latest provocation

North Korea test-fired a missile into Japan's maritime economic zone on Monday, the latest move in a series of provocative launches

North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs are perhaps the biggest foreign policy challenges to the new leaders in allies Washington and Seoul
North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs are perhaps the biggest foreign policy challenges to the new leaders in allies Washington and Seoul

North Korea fired at least one short-range ballistic missile on Monday that landed in the sea off its east coast, the latest in a fast-paced series of missile tests defying world pressure and threats of more sanctions.

It was the North's third ballistic missile test in as many weeks and the 12th this year, carried out in defiance of UN sanctions warnings and US threats of possible military action.

The missile was believed to be a Scud-class ballistic missile and flew about 450 km, South Korean officials said. North Korea has a large stockpile of the short-range missiles, originally developed by the Soviet Union.

US military monitors said the short-range missile flew for six minutes, while Japan said it fell into the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), waters extending 200 nautical miles from its coast.

Monday's launch followed two successful tests of medium- to long-range missiles in as many weeks by Pyongyang, which has been conducting such tests at an unprecedented pace in an effort to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of hitting the mainland United States.

The North was likely showing its determination to push ahead with missile development in the face of international pressure to rein it in and "to pressure the (South Korean) government to change its policy on the North", South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Roh Jae-cheon said.

North Korea, which has conducted dozens of missile tests and tested two nuclear bombs since the start of 2016 in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions, says the programme is necessary to counter US aggression.

The White House said President Donald Trump had been briefed on the launch.

US President Donald Trump promised last week at the G7 summit that the "big problem" of North Korea "will be solved".

The United States has said it was looking at discussing with China a new UN Security Council resolution and that Beijing, Pyongyang's main diplomatic ally and neighbour, realises time was limited to rein in the North's weapons programme through negotiations.