SEOUL, South Korea �� North Korea fired another ballistic missile Sunday, increasing tensions in the region as Kim Jong Un persists with his nuclear program.
The missile was fired from Pukchang, northeast of Pyongyang, at 4:59 p.m. local time and flew about 310 miles, South Korea's joint chiefs of staff said in a text message. It landed in the Sea of Japan and didn't reach the nation's exclusive economic zone, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on NHK television.
South Korea's military said it will conduct further analysis of the launch, which came just a week after North Korea tested a missile it said could carry a "large-size heavy nuclear warhead" over long distances. U.S. President Donald Trump has said military action is an option to prevent Kim's regime from developing missiles that could carry a nuclear warhead to North America.
Last week's missile flew at a steep trajectory to avoid neighboring countries, reaching an altitude of 1,300 miles before falling in open water about 300 miles away. Analysts estimated that it was capable of flying about 3,000 miles _ within range of U.S. military facilities on the island of Guam.
North Korea has test-fired ballistic missiles eight times this year, defying United Nations sanctions and Trump's warnings. The regime has persisted with the tests even as Trump praises efforts by China _ North Korea's main ally and economic lifeline _ to rein in its neighbor.
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(Andy Sharp contributed to this report.)
