"Today’s missile launch... is aimed at drawing global attention to the North by boasting its nuclear and missile capabilities," the ministry said in a statement. "It is also believed that it was an armed provocation to test the response from the new US administration under President Trump," it added. The US Strategic Command said it detected and tracked what it assessed to be a medium-range ballistic missile It was the first such test since last October. North Korea is barred under UN resolutions from any use of ballistic missile technology. A South Korean army official quoted by Yonhap news agency ruled out the possibility of a long-range missile test, describing the device as an upgraded version of the North’s Rodong missile.

Source: Viet Nam News February 12, 2017 09:49 UTC