A White House official has confirmed that North Korea has test-fired a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM), despite threats of tougher U.S. sanctions over its missile tests.
"We are aware that North Korea launched an MRBM. This system, last tested in February, has a shorter range than the missiles launched in North Korea's three most recent tests," the official said in Saudi Arabia, where U.S. President Donald Trump is on a two-day visit.
Officials in Seoul had earlier reported the test, with South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff saying it could not yet identify the type of missile fired on May 21 from Pukchang in South Pyongan Province but that it traveled about 500 kilometers.
The latest launch came just a week after a similar test sparked international condemnation and a warning from Washington that new sanctions could be imposed on Pyongyang.
