North Korea Launched Inter Continental Ballistic Missile

PYONGYANG - North Korea launched several missiles on Wednesday morning, Kyodo News reported, citing a Japanese government source. The launch, from the eastern area of Wonsan may have failed, Kyodo said adding that the type of missiles involved was unknown.

Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga said that the government hasn’t confirmed North Korea launched missiles towards Japan and that it was always gathering and analysing information on the country. South Korea’s defence ministry said it was trying to confirm the report of the missile launches.

Earlier this month, North Korea fired four ballistic missiles into the sea off Japan’s northwest coast, angering South Korea and Japan. That launch came days after it promised retaliation over US-South Korea military drills it sees as preparation for war.

This is corroborated by the statement Choe Myong Nam, deputy ambassador at the North Korean mission to the United Nations in Geneva.

"This includes developing a "pre-emptive first strike capability" and an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM)," he said.

Reuters, quoting a senior U.S. official in Washington, reported on Monday that the Trump administration is considering sweeping sanctions as part of a broad review of measures to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile threat.

"I think this is stemming from the visit by the Secretary of State (Rex Tillerson) to Japan, South Korea and China...We of course are not afraid of any act like that," Choe told Reuters.

"Even prohibition of the international transactions system, the global financial system, this kind of thing is part of their system that will not frighten us or make any difference."

He called existing sanctions "heinous and inhumane".