TOKYO (dpa-AFX) - North Korea fired a ballistic missile early Wednesday local time in the first missile launch by the reclusive communist nation since September.
A statement from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea launched the unidentified ballistic missile eastward from the vicinity of Pyongsong in the western part of the country.
U.S. officials confirmed the launch, with a Pentagon spokesman saying the Defense Department is in the process of assessing the situation.
The launch was also confirmed by the Japanese prime minister's office, which said the missile appears to have landed within Japan's exclusive economic zone.
An exclusive economic zone is a sea zone over which a country has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources, including energy production.
In a post on Twitter, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said President Donald Trump was briefed on the situation in North Korea while the missile was still in the air.
Trump has been critical of previous missile tests by North Korea, mockingly referring to leader Kim Jong-un as 'rocket man' in a speech to the United Nations in September.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX