The South Korean military says that a ballistic missile launched by North Korea early on Sunday flew about 500 kilometers.

The Joint Chief of Staff (JCS) said that South Korea and the United States are conducting detailed analysis of the projectile, which was launched at 7:55 a.m. from Banghyeon in North Pyongan Province.

The JCS said that the North’s latest missile test is a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, is aimed at showing off its nuclear and missile capabilities to draw attention and to counter the U.S. Trump administration's hardline policy against Pyongyang.

The South Korean military remains on high alert to prepare for any provocation by Pyongyang and is closely watching the movements of North Korea.

The South Korean military recently presented its view that the North will continue to refine its Musudan mid-range missile capability before test-firing an intercontinental ballistic missile, citing that only one of the North’s eight test flights of the Musudan last year was successful.

Attention is being drawn to how the United States will respond to the North’s first missile test since the start of the Donald Trump administration.

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