Anchor: Just days ahead of the U.S.-China summit, North Korea has fired a ballistic missile into the East Sea. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) said that the missile was launched from the Sinpo region near the East Sea coast in South Hamgyong province at 6:42 a.m. Wednesday.
Our Park Jong-hong reports.
 
Report: The missile flew only about 60 kilometers before it dropped in North Korean waters. The U.S. Pacific Command said that it believes the missile is a KN-15, referring to the Pukguksong-2 intermediate-range missile, which the regime test-fired last year.
 
But given the short range of the trajectory, many believe it is not the inter-continental ballistic missile the North has been threatening to launch.
 
The latest launch came ahead of the planned U.S.-China summit scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
 
Experts also noted that the missile launch was intended as a protest against the ongoing Korea-U.S. combined military exercises.
 
The South Korean presidential office was quick to convene a National Security Council session meeting to discuss countermeasures.
 
Last year the North launched three submarine-launched ballistic missiles(SLBM) from the Sinpo area. The North test-fired a Pukguksong-2 missile in North Pyongan on February 12th, and launched four other ballistic missiles in North Pyongan on March sixth. On March 22nd, the North tried and failed to launch a Musudan missile.
 
The South Korean military is closely monitoring the situation in the North.

The JCS said in a statement that the North's continued provocations will only hasten the collapse of its regime. 
Park Jong-hong KBS World Radio News.

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