North Korea has fired a ballistic missile, South Korean media say, quoting military officials.
The news was confirmed by a US government source, according to Reuters news agency.
South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that the missile flew eastward from Pyongsong in South Pyongan province.
It is not clear how far it went or whether it flew over Japan as other missiles did earlier this year.
North Korea has test fired several other missiles this year, including its first intercontinental ballistic missiles, as tensions increase over its nuclear programme.
South Korean and US authorities are working together to analyse the latest missile's trajectory, according to a statement from South Korean military chiefs. It is unclear what range it had.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42160227

UPDATE
North Korea latest missile launch a global threat - US

North Korea has fired its highest-ever intercontinental ballistic missile and poses a worldwide threat, US Secretary of Defence James Mattis has said.

Earlier the Pentagon said the missile had flown for about 1,000km (620 miles) before falling into the Sea of Japan.

The launch, early on Wednesday, is the latest in a series that have raised international tensions.

North Korea's last ballistic missile launch was in September and came days after its sixth nuclear test.

Mr Mattis was speaking at the White House as he briefed President Donald Trump and senior officials on the missile launch.

He said the missile had gone higher than any previous launch, adding that the North was building "ballistic missiles that threaten anywhere in the world".

South Korean news agency Yonhap said that the missile was launched from Pyongsong, in South Pyongan province.

Japanese government officials said the missile travelled for about 50 minutes but did not fly over Japan, as some have done in the past.

President Trump was briefed while the missile was still in the air, the White House said. Afterwards he said: "We will take care of it."

South Korea's military said it had responded with a missile exercise of its own.


Condemnation of the launch was swift:

The Japanese government said they would "never accept North Korea's continuous provocative behaviour" and PM Shinzo Abe called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council

The EU called the launch a "further unacceptable violation" of North Korea's international obligations
Britain's ambassador to the UN called it "a reckless act"
The North is thought to be focusing efforts on building long-range missiles with the potential of reaching the mainland continental US.

Officials in Pyongyang said the first of the longer-range missiles it tested in July could hit "any part of the world", but the US military called it an intermediate-range missile instead.

Its last nuclear test reportedly involved a miniaturised hydrogen bomb that could be loaded onto a long-range missile, raising tensions with the US even further.

Good

I love nk
God bless NK

They will implode on themselves one of these days

God help us. .

i see world power been snatch out of the USA hands..this north korea people aint alone in this,some big countries backed them secretly until third world war starts u can never know those countries...lots of souls are going to the creator already,if the war happens then the world is totally finished PLEASE PRECIOUS GOD PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN......AMEN.

How humans are turning nature to destructive materials just to waste life

Major North Korean missile tests in 2017

North Korea has carried out numerous missile tests this year. Some of these exploded shortly after launch, but others travelled for hundreds of miles before landing in the sea. Here are some of the major tests reported so far:

12 February - A medium-range ballistic missile launched from Banghyon air base near the west coast. It flew east towards the Sea of Japan for about 500km.

4 April - A medium-range ballistic missile fired from the eastern port of Sinpo into the Sea of Japan. South Korea's defence ministry said the missile flew about 60km.

4 July - Pyongyang claimed to have successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time. Officials said it reached an altitude of 2,802km and flew for 39 minutes.

29 August - North Korea fired what is thought to be its first nuclear-weapon capable ballistic missile over Japan. It was launched from near Pyongyang and reached a height of about 550km.

15 September - A ballistic missile was fired across Japan for the second time and landed in the sea off Hokkaido. It reached an altitude of about 770km and travelled 3,700km.