North Korea Launches Ballistic Missile in First Test

SadaNews - North Korea launched at least one ballistic missile on Wednesday morning, according to South Korea's military, marking the first such missile test by the North in months.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff stated in a statement that the North Korean military fired an "undefined" missile toward the east.

This is the first ballistic missile test conducted by Pyongyang since the inauguration of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in June, who announced his intention to improve relations with the North.

The missile launch comes ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, scheduled to be held in the South Korean city of Gyeongju on October 31 and November 1, which is expected to be attended by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump has expressed hope of meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, possibly this year, after having met with him multiple times during his first term.

For his part, the North Korean leader has expressed readiness to resume contacts with the United States if it abandons its efforts to strip his country of its nuclear weapons.

Earlier in October, North Korea revealed its "strongest" intercontinental ballistic missile during a military parade in Pyongyang to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the regime, which was attended by senior officials from Russia and China.