US military says N. Korea launched short-range ballistic missile

WASHINGTON— The US Pacific Command said Sunday it has found that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) or North Korea had launched a short-range ballistic missile.

In a statement, the command said it had detected the launch at 10:40 a.

m. Hawaii time on Sunday (2040 GMT) and tracked the missile for six minutes until it landed in the Sea of Japan. It added that the launch occurred near Wonsan on the east coast of the DPRK.

“We are working with our Interagency partners on a more detailed assessment,” the statement said, adding that the command continues to monitor the DPRK’s actions closely.

The South Korean military also said the DPRK had test-launched a ballistic missile early Monday local time from the country’s east coast.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile flew some 450 km and was believed to be of the Scud type, which has a range of 300-500 km.

The DPRK has not made any announcement about the alleged launch.