North Korea has launched a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan just days after it warns the global community of retaliation over sanctions.
“At 2142 GMT today, North Korea fired a ballistic missile from Sinpo area into the Sea of Japan," said a statement released by the South Korea's Defiance Ministry on Tuesday.
It added that the projectile flew for around 60 kilometers before landing in the sea and that both Seoul and Washington were currently trying to determine the missile’s type.
"The military is keeping a close watch over North Korea's provocative moves and maintaining a high defense posture," added the statement.
Pyongyang’s new test was met with Japan’s “strong protest,” with Tokyo describing the launch as “extremely problematic.”
Speaking at a press conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Japan absolutely cannot tolerate North Korea’s repeated provocative actions.
The test came after US President Donald Trump threatened unilateral action against Pyongyang over its missile tests and just ahead of a meeting between Trump and China's President Xi Jinping, in which they expected to discuss the North’s arms development.
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Last week, two high-ranking US intelligence officials claimed that North Korea is capable of killing millions of Americans by launching a nuclear attack.
Last month, Pyongyang warned Washington that a preemptive strike was always a possibility, after the US and South Korean military forces simulated attacks on North Korean targets during joint military drills that involved 17,000 American troops and more than 300,000 South Koreans.
In February, North Korea simultaneously launched four ballistic missiles off its east coast, three of which landed close to Japan. In August, it also successfully tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile some 500 kilometers off the coast of Japan, in a move which the North's leader Kim Jong-un hailed as the "greatest success."