North Korea conducted another missile test on Friday, making it its third in eight days.
The move has been termed as efforts by Pyongyang to put pressure on the United States to restart stalled nuclear talks, and halt joint military exercises with the South.
The missiles were launched at 2:59am and 3:23am Korean time, from the country’s east coast and flew 137 miles out to sea at a maximum height of 15 miles before coming down, according to Dailymail.
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South Korea and the US said it appears the projectiles were short-range ballistic missiles, similar to the type that Kim Jong-un’s regime tested on Thursday last week.
Kim also tested what he described as a “large-calibre multiple launch guided rocket system” on Wednesday morning.
After Wednesday’s test, the regime said the rockets would be “an inescapable distress to the forces becoming a fat target of the weapon”, believed to be referring to South Korean and US forces, both of which are within its range.
While Friday’s test was being launched, Trump was asked at the White House about the missile launches, and said that he has “no problem” with the tests.
Trump had agreed with Kim during their nuclear negotiations, that North Korea would not test any intercontinental ballistic missiles, however, did not agree on terms over shorter range munitions.
“We never made an agreement on that. I have no problem,” Trump added.
US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who is attending a security summit in Thailand, said he was willing to restart nuclear talks with the North, and was disappointed that the kingdom decided not to send a diplomat to the conference.
“I think it would’ve given us an opportunity to have another set of conversations,” he said.
“I hope it won’t be too long before I have a chance to do that.”
Nuclear envoys from the United States, South Korea and Japan held a meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN forum on Friday.
They were expected to discuss the North’s latest missile tests and ways to restart working-level talks between the United States and North Korea.
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