North Korea fires ballistic missile in defiance of China and the U.S.

North Korea has defied China and U.S. demands that it stop all testing of missile technology by launching a ballistic missile late Friday.

Early reports are that the missile traveled approximately 25 miles over a period of 15 minutes before crashing on land having failed to make the Sea of Japan.

South Korean experts are calling the launch a failed test of a KN-17 which is a modified SCUD missile intended to target ships.

U.S. military officials report that the missile crashed 35 km from Pukchang airfield.

The launch comes just hours after a special meeting at the United Nations. During the meeting, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, “All options for responding to future provocations must remain on the table,” Tillerson said. “Diplomatic and financial leverage or power will be backed up by a willingness to counteract North Korean aggression with military action, if necessary.”

Just yesterday, President Trump said that “major conflict” with North Korea was possible if Kim Jong-un continued to defy international norms by pursuing nuclear weapons and advanced ballistic missile capabilities.

Secretary Tillerson and President Trump had both attempted to calm the North Korean dictator by informing the world that they had no intention of getting rid of Kim Jong-un. America has no interest in interfering with North Korea if it will agree to stop nuclear weapons and ballistic missile testing.