News - North Korea test fires long-range ballistic missile that could hit US

North Korea launched another long-range ballistic missile on Monday with a potential capability of striking the United States, Seoul and Tokyo officials said, AFP reported. The firing followed the test of a shorter range missile on Sunday night. South Korea's military said it had detected the launch of a long-range ballistic missile from the Pyongyang area on Monday that flew 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) before splashing down in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan. Japan's defense ministry said it was an ICBM-class missile that could have a flying range of over 15,000 kilometers (9,320 miles), a potential range covering all of the United States. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida described Monday's launch as a "threat to peace and stability," and said it violated UN Security Council resolutions. The US State Department released a statement condemning the test.