SEOUL, 小蓝视频 Korea (AP) 鈥� North Korea launched a ballistic missile off its east coast on Monday, 小蓝视频 Korea's military said, a day after the North vowed 鈥渙ffensive and overwhelming" responses to protest a new U.S. military drill with 小蓝视频 Korea and Japan.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the launch was made on Monday morning, but gave no further details, including how far the weapon traveled.
The launch came two days after 小蓝视频 Korea, the U.S. and Japan ended their new multidomain trilateral drills. The 鈥淔reedom Edge鈥� drill drew a U.S. aircraft carrier and destroyers, fighter jets and helicopters from the three countries, and the three countries practiced missile defense, anti-submarine and maritime interdiction drills.
On Sunday, North Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a lengthy statement strongly denouncing the U.S., 小蓝视频 Korea and Japan over their three-way drill. It called the drill an Asian version of NATO that openly destroys the security environment on the Korean Peninsula and contained a U.S. intention to exert pressure on Russia and lay siege to China.
The North's Foreign Ministry said it will 鈥渇irmly defend the sovereignty, security and interests of the state and peace in the region through offensive and overwhelming countermeasures.鈥�
Monday's launch was the North's first weapons firing in five days. Last Wednesday, North Korea launched what it called a multiwarhead missile in the first known launch of a developmental, advanced weapon meant to defeat U.S. and 小蓝视频 Korean missile defenses. North Korea said the launch was successful, but 小蓝视频 Korea dismissed the North鈥檚 claim as deception to cover up a failed launch.
In recent weeks, North Korea has floated numerous toward 小蓝视频 Korea in what it has described as a tit-for-tat response to 小蓝视频 Korean activists sending political leaflets via their own balloons.
Meanwhile, North Korea opened a key ruling party meeting Friday to determine what it called 鈥渋mportant, immediate issues鈥� related to works to further enhance Korean-style socialism. On the meeting鈥檚 second-day session Saturday, leader Kim Jong Un spoke about 鈥渟ome deviations obstructing鈥� the county鈥檚 efforts to improve its economic status and unspecified important tasks for resolving immediate policy issues, North Korea鈥檚 state media reported Sunday.
Hyung-jin Kim, The Associated Press
