N. Korea fires again

SEOUL — North Korea fired a ballistic missile that flew over Japan before plunging into the northern Pacific Ocean, officials said Tuesday, an aggressive message of defiance as Washington and Seoul conduct war games nearby.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile traveled around 1,677 miles and reached a maximum height of 341 miles as it flew over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

The launch from the capital of Pyongyang appeared to be the first of a North Korean missile to cross over Japan. It also appeared to be the North’s longest-ever missile test.

Each test puts the North a step closer to its goal of an arsenal of nuclear missiles that can reliably target the United States. North Korea has launched at an unusually fast pace this year, 13 launches of ballistic missiles, and some analysts believe it could have viable long-range nuclear missiles before the end of President Trump’s term.

The South Korean military said it’s analyzing the launch with the United States and has strengthened its monitoring and preparation in case of further actions.

Analysts speculate the North may have tested a new intermediate-range missile that Pyongyang recently threatened to fire toward the U.S. territory of Guam. The missile landed nowhere near Guam, which is about 1,550 miles south of Tokyo.

South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Trump were discussing the matter over the phone.