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The United States unveiled an unusual mid-range missile test launch overnight. The US Defense Secretary has recently announced that he will deploy missiles against China in the coming months.

Washington's correspondent Son Sok-min reports.

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Medium-range cruise missiles soar into the sky from mobile launchers.

The missile, launched from an island in California, flew over 500 kilometers and hit its target, the Pentagon said in a press release.

It is rare for the US military to announce a test launch of a medium-range missile, rather than an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The launch came after the United States withdrew from the mid-range nuclear power treaty under the threat of China.

Defense Minister Esper said earlier that he would like to deploy ground-launched conventional medium-range missiles similar to the test-fired missiles in Asia in the coming months.

[Esper / US Defense Secretary (Last 3 Days): (In Asia) I want to deploy a missile, but to be clear, it is a conventional missile I want to deploy in a few months.]

As a result, it is interpreted that the US military is testing to speed up the deployment.

Australia, Japan, and South Korea have been mentioned as places to deploy, and the United States will consult with its allies.

The test launch is likely to push back China and North Korea.

Earlier this month, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it would never sit down if China's interests were violated and warned that North Korea would have a worse impact on regional conditions than Sadd's entry into South Korea.