North Korea fired a seven-mile-long ballistic missile from a region near the western coast, the South Korean army reported. The missile was launched early Sunday in the area located north of Pyongyang, where North Korea tested a mid-range missile in February.
The Japanese authorities, who announced that the missile crashed into the sea after 30 minutes of the raid, protested in this case, claiming that the move was a serious threat to their country and that North Korea had violated UN resolutions once again.
The North Korean rocket test was conducted only a few days after the new South Korean President Moon Jae-In had said he was ready to visit North Korea.
Two weeks ago, North Korea unsuccessfully fired a ballistic missile north of the capital Pyongyang, which broke apart after a few minutes and fell to the Japanese Sea.
In the past two months, Pyongyang has unsuccessfully tried to test ballistic missiles four times. But gun specialists believe that North Korea has made some progress in these tests. US President Donald Trump said at the end of April that a major conflict with North Korea was possible for its nuclear and missile program, but said he preferred a diplomatic solution to the dispute.
Reactions from the world
China has called for restraint. "Security Council resolutions provide clear rules on the use of ballistic technology in North Korea launches.
China opposes North Korean launches since they are in conflict with Security Council resolutions," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"At this moment, the situation on the peninsula is complex and sensitive, and all relevant parties should show restraint in order not to exacerbate the tensions in the region."
Trump wants more sanctions
Donald Trump called for much stronger sanctions against North Korea after a new ballistic missile firing on Sunday.
"Let this provocation call all countries for much stronger sanctions against North Korea," the White House said in a statement.
Washington says the US president can not imagine Russia being satisfied with the latest North Korean missile testing that fell closer to Russia than Japan on Sunday. Russian President Vladimir Putin is concerned about Sunday's testing, a Kremlin spokesman said during Putin's visit to Beijing.
Growing tensions
Dmitry Peskov said Russia and China were "worried about growing tensions" on the Korean peninsula. Putin and Chinese Prime Minister Xi Jinping discussed the situation on the Korean peninsula during a meeting in Beijing, and both sides expressed concern over rising inconsistencies, Peskov said.
The US Finance Ministry said on Saturday that they are discussing all possibilities for blocking access to Pyongyang to international financial markets, before the latest North Korean experiment. "We do not comment on sanctions, but we obviously consider any means in their arsenal to fight illegal activities and terrorist financing," the official said.
