Norks launch intermediate range ballistic missile that threatens South Korea

streiff:

Early Sunday morning, Korean time, the North Koreans conducted another missile test.

North Korea launched a ballistic missile Sunday morning that flew around 430 miles before crashing into the sea, U.S. and South Korean military officials said, in what appears to be the latest missile test in defiance of United Nations sanctions.

The unidentified ballistic missile was launched at 5:27 a.m. Sunday Seoul time (4:27 p.m. Saturday ET), off Kusong north of the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, a South Korean military official told NBC News.

The missile flew around 30 minutes and landed in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary said.

The Japanese are saying that it seems like a new type of IRBM and there are muddled reports that the launch may or may not have taken place with no detectable preparation. If the latter case is true, that represents a major escalation in how the North Koreans are testing missiles and would seem to be a rehearsal for a first strike on South Korea.
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They apparently have gotten the message that launching an intercontinental ballistic missile test that threatens the US could lead to a war with the US.  It is not clear whether this missile is one that could be defeated by the THAAD missile defense system recent installed in South Korea by the US.  There is some evidence that the missile flew at a trajectory that might evade the THAAD defense system.  The new missile could also threaten US bases in Guam.