TOKYO — North Korea launched an “unidentified projectile” on Thursday, according to South Korea’s military, marking the second such test in less than a week and raising tensions with Washington and Seoul. The launch comes as U.S. special envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun is in Seoul and at the same time as a trilateral defence meeting between the United States, Japan and South Korea is taking place. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appeared to play down Saturday’s launch by suggesting it was “relatively short-range” and not a threat to the United States, South Korea of Japan. North Korea declared in April 2018 that it would discontinue nuclear tests and inter-continental ballistic missile tests. But the United Nations Security Council, which has imposed steadily tighter sanctions on North Korea, has demanded Pyongyang cease any launches that use ballistic missile technology.

Source: National Post May 09, 2019 14:37 UTC