published Mar 21st 2017, 9:36 pm, by Yuki Hagiwara

(Bloomberg) —
North Korea may have conducted a missile test on Wednesday morning, Japan’s Kyodo News reported, in what would be the latest provocation from Kim Jong Un’s regime.

Intelligence suggests that the launch in the eastern part of North Korea failed, according to the report, which cited an unidentified Japanese government official. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the government hasn’t confirmed any projectiles heading toward the country.

North Korea has test-fired missiles on two occasions this year, as it defies United Nations sanctions by working on a device that could deliver a nuclear weapon to the U.S. The Trump administration is seeking to toughen the U.S.’s stance on North Korea, with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson saying last week that all options, including military, are on the table to counter the nation’s nuclear threat.

Read more: Timeline on North Korean missile launches

Kim has launched a series of projectiles and conducted three nuclear tests since he came to power more than five years ago. He claimed in January to be in the final stage of preparations to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile. North Korea fired four missiles earlier this month that reached as far as Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

To contact the reporter on this story: Yuki Hagiwara in Tokyo at yhagiwara1@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Ten Kate at dtenkate@bloomberg.net Russell Ward
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