In an implicit challenge to President Donald Trump, North Korea appeared to fire a ballistic missile early Sunday in what would be its first such test of the year.After receiving word of the launch, Trump stood at his south Florida estate with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who called the move "intolerable. Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, appearing in a hastily arranged press conference with Trump following the test, said the move was "absolutely intolerable" and called on North Korea to fully comply with United Nations Security Council resolutions, which forbid Pyongyang from these types of tests. "South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the missile was fired from around Banghyon, North Pyongan Province, which is where South Korean officials have said the North test-launched its powerful midrange Musudan missile on Oct. 15 and 20.The military in Seoul said that the missile flew about 500 kilometers (310 miles). South Korean defense officials and the U.S. Strategic Command say North Korea test-fired a "medium- or intermediate-range" ballistic missile early Sunday morning local time, which flew eastward for about 300 miles from the west coast of North Korea, over the peninsula and landed in the Sea of Japan. KCNA said the launch “was conducted by the high-angle launching method instead of firing range, taking the security of the neighboring countries into consideration.”

Acting South Korean President Hwang Kyo-ahn said: “The South Korean government and the international community are working together to take punitive actions appropriate for this launch.”

Trump’s national security adviser, Michael Flynn, spoke to his South Korean counterpart Kim Kwan Jin, according to the South Korean President’s office. And it’s not only a concern for the United States to hit the mainland, but it also has concerns for all of our Asia partners.”

In January, US and South Korean officials told CNN that North Korea might be readying two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) for a test launch in the near future. "Any attack on the United States or our allies will be defeated and any use of nuclear weapons would be met with a response that would be effective and overwhelming," Mattis said.
North Korea test fires a ballistic missile over the Sea of Japan.