North Korea fires missile, minister to visit Russia as tensions rise

North Korea fired an apparent intermediate-range missile off its east coast on Sunday, South Korea said, as tensions run high after Pyongyang’s recent launches of an intercontinental ballistic missile and its first military spy satellite.
A projectile believed to be the missile has fallen, according to the Japanese coast guard, which said it could be a ballistic missile. It appeared to have fallen outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, public broadcaster NHK said.
In November, North Korea said it successfully tested new solid-fuel engines designed for intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
Sunday’s missile was fired from the area of Pyongyang around 2:55 p.m. (0555 GMT), South Korea’s military said in a statement, adding that Seoul was is running an analysis on the missile in coordination with the United States and Japan.
North Korea has been stepping up pressure on Seoul in recent weeks, declaring it the “principal enemy”, saying the North will never reunite with the South and vowing to enhance its ability to deliver a nuclear strike on the U.S. and America’s allies in the Pacific.