Japan had "lodged a stern protest with North Korea, condemning it in the strongest possible terms," Suga said. "The international community has to join together and deliver a clear message against North Korea's dangerous provocative acts that threaten the world's peace," Abe said. After the launch, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson slammed North Korea's "continued provocations," saying the actions "only deepen North Korea's diplomatic and economic isolation." The rocket launched Friday could have been an "intermediate range ballistic missile," according to the United States Pacific Command. US President Donald Trump was briefed on the missile launch by Chief of Staff John Kelly, a White House statement said.

Source: The China Post September 15, 2017 03:44 UTC