North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches the test of a new-type anti-aircraft guided weapon system organised by the Academy of National Defence Science in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) May 28, 2017. KCNA/via REUTERS
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Friday in an unusual late-night test launch from its northern Jangang province that landed in the sea off its east coast, possibly in Japan’s exclusive economic zone, South Korea and Japan said.
The launch took place at 11:41 p.m. (1441 GMT), an official at South Korea’s Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The U.S. Defense Department also confirmed the launch as a ballistic missile, saying it was making further assessments.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in called a National Security Council meeting for 1 a.m. Saturday, his office said, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also said a National Security Council meeting would be convened.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said that the North Korean missile flew for about 45 minutes.
(Reporting by Jack Kim in Seoul, William Mallard in Tokyo and Idrees Ali in Washington; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
