North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile into its eastern sea Tuesday, officials in South Korea and Japan said.
Why it matters: The detection comes less than a week after Pyongyang fired what it claimed to be a hypersonic missile — and South Korea's military said this launch was assessed to be "more advanced" than the Jan. 5 one, per Reuters.
- The latest indication that North Korea does not intend to rejoin stalled denuclearization talks came as the UN Security Council met in New York to discuss last week's test.
What they're saying: The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement that it was consulting closely with allies and had determined that the latest launch was of no "immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies," but it "highlights the destabilizing impact" of Pyongyang's " illicit weapons program."
- On Monday, six countries, including the U.S., U.K. and Japan, issued a statement condemning last week's launch and calling on North Korea "to refrain from further destabilizing actions ... and engage in meaningful dialogue towards our shared goal of complete denuclearization."
- Pyongyang did not immediately comment on the latest launch, but North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged ahead of the Jan. 5 test to strengthen the country's military capabilities, AP notes.
Go deeper: President Moon Jae-in: End to Korean War agreed to "in principle"
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
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