North Korea tested a suspected mid-range ballistic missile Tuesday, according to military officials in South Korea where President Moon Jae-in responded by convening a National Security Council meeting.
“North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile into the East Sea [Sea of Japan] from the vicinity of Banghyon, North Pyongan Province, at around 9:40 a.m. local time (0040GMT),” Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff was quoted by the Yonhap news agency. “It flew more than 930 kilometers (578 miles).”
The North’s sixth missile test since Moon took office in May came just days after he visited the U.S. for his first summit with President Donald Trump.
Their talks cemented Seoul’s plan to push for dialogue with Pyongyang while aiming to denuclearize the authoritarian state.
North Korea’s state-run media also carried a statement Tuesday that said peace on the peninsula could be achieved through the withdrawal of American troops and weapons rather than South Korea’s “subservience” to the U.S.
Pyongyang’s Central Committee of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea condemned Moon for not seeking dialogue “without Washington’s approval.”
The North has been repeatedly punished by the United Nations Security Council for carrying out rogue nuclear and missile tests. South Korea, by contrast, adheres to strict U.S. guidelines, including limiting its ballistic missile range to no more than 800 km (497 miles).