North Korea fires ballistic missile over Japan

North Korea fired another ballistic missile over Japan on Friday, further escalating tensions in the region after it conducted a nuclear test earlier this month.

South Korea’s military said the missile fired from Pyongyang flew about 2,300 miles before landing in the Pacific Ocean, the Yonhap News Agency reported.

Japan’s NHK broadcaster reported the missile flew over northern Japan and landed in the ocean about 1,200 miles east of Hokkaido.

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U.S. Pacific Command said an initial assessment indicated that North Korea had launched an intermediate range ballistic missile.

U.S. officials confirmed that the missile flew over northern Japan before landing in the Pacific, east of the country, adding they were analyzing the launch.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that President Trump had been briefed on the missile launch by his chief of staff John Kelly.

It’s the second such launch in the past few weeks after North Korea fired a missile over northern Japan in late August.

The latest launch also prompted sirens in Japan and an advisory from the government to seek shelter.

#northkorea launched another #missile. Hearing the sirens out here in #niigata #japan. Thanks for the heads up, J-alert pic.twitter.com/Yd459DPfw8

— Michael Bosack (@MikeBosack) September 14, 2017

Japan and South Korea were both holding emergency national security council meetings on Friday in the wake of the launch.

The international community has sought to ratchet up pressure on North Korea after it conducted a nuclear test earlier this month. Pyongyang claimed it tested a hydrogen bomb.

The nuclear test, the North’s sixth and its first since Trump took office, spurred international condemnation and fresh United Nations Security Council sanctions.

Trump on Tuesday lauded the U.N. Security Council for unanimously approving the new sanctions against North Korea, while questioning whether the “very small step” would have “any impact” on its nuclear program.

North Korea’s reported missile launch Friday came hours after Trump reassured Americans that they are “very safe” despite the country’s advancing nuclear program.

“I think a lot of effort is going to be put into this,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from a trip to Florida to survey damage from Hurricane Irma.

Updated: 8:04 p.m.