North Korea conducts its biggest missile launch today; South Korea, Japan and US condemn the launch
- North Korea has conducted its biggest missile launch since 2017. South Korea reported that the launch took place at 07:52 local time today off North Korea's east coast. Japan, South Korea and the US have all condemned the launch, the seventh test this month.
- The UN prohibits North Korea from ballistic and nuclear weapons tests and has imposed strict sanctions. The United States called on North Korea to "refrain from further destabilising acts", in a statement issued by the US military's Indo-Pacific Command.
- But the East Asian state regularly defies the ban, and leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to bolster his country's defences.
- South Korea's National Security Council said Sunday's test was an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), which would be the biggest missile tested since November 2017.
- Japanese and South Korean officials estimated that the missile reached an altitude of 2,000km and flew for 30 minutes to a distance of 800km. Finally, it landed in the Sea of Japan.
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