DPRK fires ballistic missile into east waters: ROK

SEOUL - Republic of Korea's military said Saturday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has fired a ballistic missile, which was believed to have been an intercontinental ballistic missile, into its east waters.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement that the unidentified missile was fired at 11:41 pm (1441 GMT) Friday from the area in Jagang province, the central northernmost part of the DPRK.

It was immediately reported to President Moon Jae-in who chaired the national security council (NSC) meeting of the presidential Blue House at about 1 am Saturday.

Defense Minister Song Young-moo said in a statement that the ICBM test is a "grave provocation" that jeopardizes the stability of the Korean Peninsula and world peace.

He said as a stern response, the US military will send "strategic assets" to Republic of Korea, alluding to stealth bombers and aircraft carriers.

"Republic of Korea and the US ... will have strategic assets deployed (on the peninsula)," Song said.

The DPRK missile flew about 1,000 km and was lofted as high as around 3,700 km, according to the JCS. It was estimated to have been an advanced Hwasong-14, which was test-launched by the DPRK on July 4.

The July 4 launch lofted the missile as high as 2,802 km and made it fly 933 km.

The DPRK's state-run KCNA news agency reported that the country conducted a successful "second" test-launch of the Hwasong-14, which it described as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

It was lofted as high as 3,724.9 km and traveled 998 km for 47 minutes and 12 seconds before landing in targeted international waters, according to the KCNA.