North Korea launches missile into Sea of Japan

North Korea on Tuesday launched an unidentified missile into the sea, dashing hopes for progress toward a diplomatic solution to the ongoing nuclear crisis. South Korean, Japanese, and U.S. officials confirmed the launch and said the test likely involved an intercontinental ballistic missile. The rocket traveled about 620 miles and landed in the Sea of Japan, about 200 nautical miles from the Japanese coast. Japan’s chief Cabinet secretary, Yoshihide Suga, said his country filed a strong protest over the incident. Tuesday’s test is the first for North Korea in 10 weeks and came as U.S. and South Korean officials met in Washington to discuss possible responses to Pyongyang’s aggression. U.S. President Donald Trump last week declared North Korea a state sponsor of terror, a designation Kim Jong Un’s repressive regime called a “serious provocation.”