UPDATE - N. Korea test-fires suspected ballistic missile: Seoul

ADDS TRUMP, ABE COMMENTS

Alex Jensen

SEOUL (AA) - North Korea test-fired what is believed to be a ballistic missile Sunday, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The missile was launched just before 8 a.m. (0000GMT) from North Pyongan Province and flew around 300 miles (500 kilometers) toward the east of the peninsula.

A military source cited by local news agency Yonhap said the South was still determining what kind of projectile had been fired – early suspicions pointed to a ballistic missile with a short or intermediate range rather than a longer-range model capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un began the year by warning that his nation was close to testing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

In a joint appearance before the press late Saturday from the state of Florida, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the latest launch.

“North Korea's most recent missile launch is absolutely intolerable. North Korea must fully comply with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” Abe said in remarks that were translated.

Trump followed Abe and sought to show strong support for Japan. “I just want everybody to understand and fully know that the United States of America stands behind Japan, its great ally, 100 percent,” he said.

At a joint news conference with Abe a day earlier, Trump cautioned a day earlier that defending against North Korean missile and nuclear threats are a “very, very high priority”.

The two leaders urged the North “not to take any further provocative actions” after Pyongyang was hit with two rounds of sanctions following a pair of nuclear tests and a series of rocket and missile launches in 2016.

Another factor is South Korea, where North Korean aggression typically benefits conservative parties, however, if a liberal contender were to succeed in this year’s presidential election, it might signal a more friendly approach to Pyongyang.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye was impeached Dec. 9 on power abuse charges and a snap election could potentially take place as early as May.

The North’s attitude is likely to become even clearer this spring as regular military drills are set to be take place once again between the South and the U.S.

Pyongyang has traditionally responded to the exercises with anger, denouncing them as war preparations.