Nth Korea resumes testing

North Korea fired a suspected longrange missile designed to strike the mainland US yesterday, South Korea’s military said, a day after the North resumed its testing activities in an apparent protest over US moves to solidify its alliances with South Korea and Japan.

The South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement it detected a ballistic missile launch off the North’s eastern coast. It later said the missile launched is likely an intercontinental ballistic missile.

If confirmed, it would be North Korea’s first ICBM launch in about two weeks. Experts said an ICBM launched by North Korea on November 3 failed to fly its intended flight.

The Japanese Defence Ministry also said North Korea fired an ICBMclass ballistic missile from its western coastal area that flew toward its eastern waters across the country.

The launch is the latest in a slew of missile tests by North Korea in recent weeks. But the country had halted launches for about a week before it fired a short-range ballistic missile on Thursday.