The US Pacific Command said the missile North Korea just launched toward the eastern sea was of medium range, according to the New York Times.

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According to the Pacific Command, the missile did not pose any threat to North America. At the same time, the agency emphasized its commitment to defending US allies South Korea and Japan.

Earlier, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said North Korea launched a missile at 4:59 p.m. on Sunday (May 21) from a location near Pukchang (in Pyeongannam-do), an area where Pyongyang attempted to launch a missile last month but failed. The missile flew about 500 kilometers.

South Korean experts are analyzing data to determine whether the launch was successful.

Japan's military said it was also analyzing the missile's height and trajectory.

Meanwhile, Reuters news agency quoted a White House official as saying that the range of the North Korean missile launched today was shorter than previous tests.

“North Korea has just test-fired a medium-range ballistic missile. This test missile has a shorter range than Pyongyang's three most recent tests.”

Just a week earlier, North Korea also launched a Hwasong-12 missile toward the Sea of ​​Japan. The missile flew more than 2,000km. This is the longest-range missile North Korea has ever tested.

Analysts say the missile could target key US military bases in the Pacific, including Guam.

Commenting on North Korea's move after the launch this afternoon, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that by testing two missiles within just one week, North Korea "is trampling on the international community's efforts to resolve peace and instability in the region."

According to New York Times/TPO