North Korea launches long-range missile toward sea after making threat over alleged US spy flights

By HYUNG-JIN KIM and MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea says North Korea has launched a long-range ballistic missile toward the North’s eastern waters. South Korea’s military detected the launch from the North’s capital region around 10 a.m. Wednesday and bolstered its surveillance posture in response. Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada told reporters the missile was likely launched on a lofted trajectory. North Korea’s long-range missile program targets the U.S. mainland. It typically fires such missiles at a steep angle to avoid neighboring countries. North Korea earlier this week accused the United States of conducting spy flights near its territory. The United States and South Korea dismissed the North’s accusations and urged it to refrain from any acts or rhetoric that raised animosities.