North Korea test fires ANOTHER ballistic missile which lands just 60 miles off Russia’s coast
NORTH Korea yesterday morning fired another ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan, landing just 60 miles off the Russian coast.
A White House statement said: "The President cannot imagine that Russia is pleased", echoing concerns that the secretive state’s latest show of strength will increase tensions in the region.
The test missile, which was launched near the city of Kusong — north of the capital Pyongyang — flew 435 miles for 30 minutes, according to a South Korean news agency.
It landed in the Sea of Japan, but was reportedly much closer to Russian soil.
"The President has been briefed on the latest missile test by North Korea," a statement from the White House read.
"With the missile impacting so close to Russian soil - in fact, closer to Russia than to Japan - the President cannot imagine that Russia is pleased.
"North Korea has been a flagrant menace for far too long. South Korea and Japan have been watching this situation closely with us.
"The United States maintains our ironclad commitment to stand with our allies in the face of the serious threat posed by North Korea.
"Let this latest provocation serve as a call for all nations to implement far stronger sanctions against North Korea."
US Pacific Command says the launch was not consistent with an intercontinental ballistic missile, while a Seoul military spokesman described the missile an “unidentified projectile”.
It comes after the chubby dictator said he would be open to talks with Donald Trump if "the conditions were right".
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Trump is yet to make a comment on the reported launch that comes just days after a failed attempt could have ended in disaster.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is currently in Beijing for a two-day 'Belt and Road' conference hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping - he is yet to release a statement on the launch.
But other officials in Japan and South Korea were quick to slam the test. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe branded the missile "totally unacceptable" and a "grave threat" to Tokyo.
"We strongly protest against North Korea," he said.
South Korean expert Kim Dong-yub, of Kyungnam University's Institute of Far Eastern Studies in Seoul, said he estimated a standard trajectory launch would give the missile a potential range of 3,700 miles - enough to reach Hawaii.
North Korea has carried out a series of missile tests this year, sparking outrage in the international community.
Two missile test last month also failed with both rockets exploding just minutes into flight.
US hackers are thought to be responsible for downing one of the rockets.
Another test missile earlier this month is said to have been accidentally fired towards Russia, with President Putin putting the country on high alert.
The latest test comes as tensions are strained between North Korea and the USA, with Kim Jong-un having threatened "full scale" nuclear war on the western superpower.
The double-chinned despot has even accused the US of trying to have him killed like "rats sneaking around in the dark".
Britain's ambassador to North Korea has been summoned by the secretive state over the alleged CIA plot,
North Korean propaganda is said to claim foreign diplomats were briefed about the plot.
The US's relationship with North Korea is strained because of the dictatorship's nuclear weapons programme.
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