N. Korea launches 'what appears to be' ballistic missile

Seoul [South Korea], May 29 (ANI): North Korea on Monday fired what appears to be a ballistic missile from its eastern coast, according to the South Korean military. "North Korea launched an unidentified projectile from the vicinity of Wonsan, Gangwon Province, early this morning," Yonhap news agency quoted the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) as saying. Pyongyang's action was immediately reported to President Moon Jae-in, who ordered related government officials to convene a National Security Council meeting at 7:30 a.m., the JCS added. If the projectile is confirmed to be a ballistic missile, it would be the communist nation's ninth missile test this year. North Korea has carried out a series of successful ballistic missile launches, with the recent being on May 21. Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada said the missile hit the water about 350 kilometers (217 miles) from the east coast of North Korea. She said the missile did not go higher than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), according to preliminary data. On May 14, the test missile by Pyongyang reportedly reached an altitude of more than 2,100 kilometers (1,300 miles). According to analysts the test gave North Korea critical information on developing a re-entry vehicle for nuclear warheads and showed Pyongyang had a missile capable of striking the U.S. territory of Guam. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had earlier vowed to field a nuclear-armed missile capable of reaching American territory. (ANI)