North Korea launches ballistic missile. Yonhap News. 

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) announced on the 22nd (local time) that it "condemns" North Korea's ballistic missile launch that day and "urges North Korea to refrain from further unlawful and destabilizing acts."

In a written response to a query from Yonhap News, a U.S. Department of Defense official stated, "We are aware of North Korea's multiple ballistic missile launches."

The official added, "We are in close consultation with South Korea, Japan, and other regional allies and partners. While we assess that this event does not pose an immediate threat to the United States, its personnel, territory, or allies, we continue to monitor the situation."

The official further said, "The U.S. commitment to defend South Korea and Japan remains ironclad."

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that several projectiles, presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles, were detected being launched northeastward from the Chunhwa area in North Hwanghae Province, North Korea, around 8:10 AM Korean time on the 22nd.

This is the first ballistic missile provocation by North Korea since the inauguration of the Lee Jae-myung administration, and it comes 167 days after the launch of various types of short-range ballistic missiles, including the Hwasong-11 type, on May 8th.

The missile launch occurred just before U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit next week. Some analysts suggest that North Korea's intention is to demonstrate its presence ahead of potential summits between South Korea and the U.S., and South Korea and China.

Yonhap News