A medium-range ballistic missile fired on Wednesday by North Korea flew about 1,000 kilometers and landed near Japan’s territorial waters, Seoul and Tokyo officials said, one of the longest flights by a North Korean missile. The U.S. Strategic Command, meanwhile, said North Korea fired two presumed Rodong missiles simultaneously on Wednesday, not just one. About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea and tens of thousands of more in Japan. North Korea called the system a provocation that it says is only aimed at bolstering U.S. military hegemony in the region. North Korea routinely conducts weapons tests, but the latest launch came after North Korea warned of unspecified “physical counter-actions” against a U.S. plan to deploy an advanced missile defence system in South Korea by the end of next year.

Source: The Hindu August 03, 2016 04:30 UTC