NKorea fires suspected long-range missile designed to hit US

By HYUNG-JIN KIM and MARI YAMAGUGHI
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea and Japan say North Korea fired a suspected long-range missile designed to strike the mainland. The launch Friday morning comes a day after the North resumed its testing activities in an apparent protest over U.S. moves to solidify its alliances with South Korea and Japan. The Japanese Defense Ministry said the missile, launched at around 10:14 a.m. was still in flight and may land inside of the Japanese Exclusive Economic Zone. An earlier ICBM launch by North Korea this month failed to fly its intended flight. The North’s foreign minister, Choe Son Hui, earlier threatened to launch “fiercer” military responses to the U.S. bolstering its security commitment to its allies South Korea and Japan.