The launch came shortly before U.S. President Donald Trump's first meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping later this week, raising speculation that it might have been timed to get their attention.
"North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the East Sea from a site in the vicinity of Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province, at around 6.42am", the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement.
The Pentagon can defend against any North Korean missile threat, but Pyongyang's rapidly evolving weapons program is shrinking the warning time ahead of a launch, a top United States general said Thursday.
South Korea's defence ministry said the missile flew about 60km (40 miles), various media reported today.
However, China has said the system's powerful radar could penetrate into its territory.
A North Korean flag, center, is displayed during 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship Division II Group A game at Kwandong Hockey Center in Gangneung, South Korea, Wednesday, April 5, 2017.
Did North Korea really want to steal the show ahead of the Trump-Xi summit?
In brief comments televised nationally, Abe also said Trump had told him all options were on the table. Now, Pyongyang sees China's market-opening reforms as a corrupting force, and Sinophobia remains commonplace among the public.All this makes it more likely that President Trump will have to make good on his promise to "solve North Korea".
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Indiana C Al Jefferson aggravated his sprained left ankle in practice Sunday and missed his seventh straight game. The Sixers never led, but cut a 21-point first-quarter deficit to five in the third.
Council members said they "deplore" all North Korean ballistic missile activity, stressing that it contributes to the country's development of nuclear weapons delivery systems and diverts resources from the needs of its people.
Every North Korean nuclear test and missile launch reminds the U.S. and its allies of the limited options they have on Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. A USA statement said initial assessments indicate the type of missile was a KN-15 medium-range ballistic missile.
The exercise began off South Korea's southern coast near Japan on Monday, the South's Defense Ministry said.
The North is banned from any missile or nuclear tests by the United Nations, though it has repeatedly broken those sanctions.
North Korea is pushing hard to upgrade its weapons systems to cope with what it calls USA hostility.
It has used the anniversary in previous years to test-fire the intermediate-range Musudan ballistic missile and to launch long-range rockets to try to put satellites into orbit.
"North Korea is behaving very badly", Trump tweeted.
The North is believed to be developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that could hit the United States and its leader, Kim Jong Un, has vowed to test-launch one at any time. -South Korean military drills with its own military training and harsh rhetoric.
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