North Korea ballistic missile test fails, NBC News confirms

North K orea test-fired a ballistic missile on Saturday in local time, but the missile exploded soon after launch, U.S. officials told NBC News.

The officials said that the failed test involved a short-range, non-nuclear missile, which would be able to hit Seoul, but not Japan.

One official told NBC that the U.S. had warning of the test and watched it closely.

A South Korean military official confirmed to NBC that the test occurred around 5:30 a.m. local time. The official said the missile traveled northeast towards the East Sea.

"Currently, we are closely monitoring North Korea's further military provocation and are totally ready to meet any and all kinds of provocation," the official told NBC.

U.S. Pacific Command said the missile did not leave North Korean territory, adding that the North American Aerospace Defense Command determined the launch did not pose a threat to North America.

Pacific Command said it "stands behind our steadfast commitment to the security of our allies in the Republic of Korea and Japan."

The White House said that the administration is aware of the test and that President Donald Trump has been briefed.

Later Friday, Trump tweeted about the missile test.

Korean news service Yonhap first reported the news.

Saturday's missile test comes as the United States reconsiders its strategy in dealing with the isolated nation.

Earlier in April, North Korea conducted a missile test a day after the country held a military parade celebrating leader Kim Jong-un's grandfather, Kim Il-sung. In that failed test launch, U.S. Pacific Command said the missile "blew up almost immediately."

In an interview with Reuters published late Thursday, Trump said "major, major" conflict with North Korea is possible, but that he would prefer a diplomatic solution.

Trump also told Reuters that he wants South Korea to pay for the $1 billion missile defense system. The system, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), is designed to protect South Korea and Japan from missile attack, and it could be operational as soon as summer 2017.

On Friday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged the United Nations to take new sanctions against North Korea. A day earlier, Tillerson said North Korea's closest major ally, China, has pledged to impose unilateral sanctions should Pyongyang carry out another nuclear test.

House Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy said on Thursday that the chamber would hold a vote on sanctions next week, which he said would target North Korea's shipping industry and "those who employ North Korean slave labor abroad."

— NBC News, Reuters, CNBC's Jacob Pramuk and Everett Rosenfeld contributed to this report.

Comments

Why States Still Use Barrel Bombs

Smoke ascends after a Syrian military helicopter allegedly dropped a barrel bomb over the city of Daraya on Jan. 31.(FADI DIRANI/AFP/Getty Images) Summary Barrel bombs are not especially effective weapons. They are often poorly constructed; they fail to detonate more often than other devices constructed for a similar purpose; and their lack of precision means they can have a disproportionate effect on civilian populations. However, combatants continue to use barrel bombs in conflicts, including in recent and ongoing conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and they are ideally suited to the requirements of resource-poor states. Analysis Barrel bombs are improvised devices that contain explosive filling and shrapnel packed into a container, often in a cylindrical shape such as a barrel. The devices continue to be dropped on towns all over Syria . Indeed, there have been several documented cases of their use in Iraq over the past months, and residents of the city of Mosul, which was re

Russia Looks East for New Oil Markets

Click to Enlarge In the final years of the Soviet Union, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev began orienting his foreign policy toward Asia in response to a rising Japan. Putin has also piloted a much-touted pivot to Asia, coinciding with renewed U.S. interest in the area. A good expression of intent was Russia's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in 2012 in Vladivostok, near Russia's borders with China and North Korea. Although its efforts in Asia have been limited by more direct interests in Russia's periphery and in Europe, Moscow recently has been able to look more to the east. Part of this renewed interest involves finding new export markets for Russian hydrocarbons. Russia's economy relies on energy exports, particularly crude oil and natural gas exported via pipeline to the West. However, Western Europe is diversifying its energy sources as new supplies come online out of a desire to reduce its dependence on Russian energy supplies . This has

LONDON POLICE INDIRECTLY ENCOURAGE CRIMINALS TO ATTACK RUSSIAN DIPLOMATIC PROPERTY

ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE A few days ago an unknown perpetrator trespassed on the territory of the Russian Trade Delegation in London, causing damage to the property and the vehicles belonging to the trade delegation , Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during the September 12 press briefing. The diplomat revealed the response by the London police was discouraging. Police told that the case does not have any prospects and is likely to be closed. This was made despite the fact that the British law enforcement was provided with video surveillance tapes and detailed information shedding light on the incident. By this byehavior, British law inforcements indirectly encourage criminals to continue attacks on Russian diplomatic property in the UK. Zakharova’s statement on “Trespassing on the Russian Trade Mission premises in London” ( source ): During our briefings, we have repeatedly discussed compliance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, specif

Search This Blog