<Anchor>



North Korea fired another missile this morning (the 4th).

This time, they fired a medium-range ballistic missile rather than a close one.

With a distance of 4,500 km, it flew over the Japanese archipelago and landed in the Pacific Ocean.

In addition to this, North Korea will also launch a ballistic missile fired from a submarine within this week, South Korean military authorities are expecting.

The government has defined the missile launch today as a major provocation.



The first news, Kim Tae-hoon, a defense reporter, will tell you.



<Reporter>



At around 7:23 am today, a missile that soared from Mupyeong-ri, Jagang Province, North Korea passed over Aomori Prefecture, Japan, and landed in the Pacific Ocean east of Japan.



The highest altitude was 970 km and the flight distance was 4,500 km.



Top speed is Mach 17.



Enlarging an image


The military is judging that the Hwasong-12 medium-range ballistic missile, which was launched at a high angle in January, was launched at a normal angle today and passed the Japanese archipelago.



It is the first real-range launch of the Hwasong-12 presumed missile in five years since August and September 2017, and today both the altitude and flight range have increased from that time.



The government held a National Security Council meeting and defined it as a serious provocation in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.



[President Seok-Yeol Yoon: Such a reckless nuclear provocation will face a decisive response from our military, allies, and the international community.]



The ROK and US military authorities took an immediate response with precision bombing drills of the fighter attack squadrons.



At around 4 PM, four Korean Air Force F-15Ks and four U.S. Air Force F-16s scrambled to the West Sea.



North Korea's next provocation is likely to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile SLBM.



It is known that the South Korean military has detected a trend of preparations for SLBM launches from Sinpo Base in South Hamgyong Province, and is preparing military countermeasures in case of a provocation as early as this week.



(Video coverage: Han Il-sang, video editing: Kim Jong-mi)