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North Korea fires ballistic missile ahead of Trump visit to South Korea

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File photo (Credit: KCNA)

North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the East Sea, its fifth such test this year and the first in more than five months, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The launch, which occurred Wednesday local time, comes just days before U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to visit South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju next week, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Officials in Seoul said the missile was fired eastward but did not immediately disclose its type or flight range. Japan’s Coast Guard also confirmed the launch, saying its radar detected a projectile that appeared to be a ballistic missile, according to NHK.

Authorities were assessing whether it flew over or fell within Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

The test follows a large military parade in Pyongyang earlier this month, where North Korean leader Kim Jong Un unveiled what state media described as the country’s most powerful nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-20, according to NBC News. It is unclear if that missile is the one tested.

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