In a major show of defiance to the international community, North Korea fired another ballistic missile over Japan on Friday, creating new tension in the region after its nuclear bomb test less than two weeks ago.
The missile was fired from Sunan district near Pyongyang and reached an altitude of about 770 km, travelling 3,700 km before landing in the sea off Hokkaido, South Korea’s military was quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency.
It flew higher and further than one fired over Japan late last month, the reports said.
Speaking after the launch, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said it was “totally unacceptable” and went against “the international community’s strong, united will for a peaceful solution” to the Korean crisis.
South Korea responded within minutes by firing two ballistic missiles into the sea in a simulated strike on the North.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also condemned the North Korean launch and the UN Security Council will meet at the request of Washington and Tokyo.
China, North Korea’s ideological ally, called the missle test ‘a violation of UN Security Council resolutions’.