North Korea has carried out another ballistic missile test, days after a new president took office in the South.<\/p>\n
Japanese officials say the missile, which launched from north-western Kusong, reached an altitude of 2,000km.<\/p>\n
South Korea’s newly elected President Moon Jae-in, who is seeking deeper engagement with the North, said it was a “reckless provocation”.<\/p>\n
US President Donald Trump has called for “stronger sanctions” against North Korea, while China is urging restraint.<\/p>\n
A series of North Korean missile tests this year – which are banned by the UN – has sparked international alarm and raised tensions with the US.<\/p>\n
Two missile launches last month both failed, with the rockets exploding just minutes into flight.<\/p>\n
Is it a new type of missile?<\/strong><\/p>\n The nature of the launch is still being determined, but analysts have said the test could suggest a longer range than previously tested devices.<\/p>\n The Japanese defence minister said it flew for about 30 minutes before falling in the Sea of Japan and could be a new type of missile.<\/p>\n Tomomi Inada said it covered a distance of about 700km (435 miles), reaching an altitude of more than 2,000km (1,245 miles) – higher than that reached by an intermediate-range missile North Korea fired in February.<\/p>\n Experts quoted by Reuters say the altitude meant the missile was launched at a high trajectory, limiting the lateral distance it travelled. They say if it had been fired at a standard trajectory, it would have had a range of at least 4,000km.<\/p>\n The US Pacific Command said in a statement the type was being assessed but that its flight was not consistent with that of an intercontinental ballistic missile [ICBM], which would have the range to reach the US mainland (more than 6,000km).<\/p>\n North Korea is believed to be developing two types of ICBM, but neither has so far been flight tested.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" North Korea has carried out another ballistic missile test, days after a new president took office in the South. Japanese officials say the missile, which launched from north-western Kusong, reached an altitude of 2,000km. South Korea’s newly elected President Moon Jae-in, who is seeking deeper engagement with the North, said it was a “reckless provocation”. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[107],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n