The Latest: Pilots saw flash believed from N. Korean missile
The Latest on North Korea's missile launch (all times local):
5:30 p.m.
A South Korean airline says captains of two of its passenger planes saw flashes believed to be from North Korea's latest missile launch while flying over Japan, and reported the sightings to ground control.
A Korean Air official said Wednesday that the planes were headed for South Korea's Incheon Airport after departing from San Francisco and Los Angeles. He didn't want to be named, citing office rules.
He said the captain of the first plane reported seeing a flash to Japanese ground control about an hour after North Korea fired what it said was a new intercontinental ballistic missile. Japan's defense minister said the missile landed in the Sea of Japan at about that time.
The airline official said the captain of the second plane made a similar report four minutes later as his plane passed along the same route.
He said both planes safely landed at Incheon and the missile didn't endanger their safety because the trajectory was far enough from the planes' flight paths.
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5 p.m.
Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom says North Korea's ballistic missile test is an "increasing threat to global peace and security," and tweeted "This must stop. Dialogue only way forward."
Denmark's prime minister, Lars Loekke Rasmussen, who is visiting Indonesia and Singapore, said on Twitter that he strongly condemns continued North Korean violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions and encouraged "international society to remain united."
Loekke Rasmussen added that he is discussing the development with Southeast Asian leaders.
In Lithuania, Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius called the missile test "another act of madness from the criminal #DPRK (North Korean) regime," adding "firm continuation of maximum international pressure is an absolute must to put these provocations to the end."
After 2 ? months of relative quiet, North Korea says it successfully fired a "significantly more" powerful, nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile. Outside governments and analysts concurred it had made a jump in capability.
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4 p.m.
North Korea's state media say leader Kim Jong Un ordered his engineers to launch a new intercontinental ballistic missile with "courage" a day ahead of the flight test where it demonstrated its reach deep into the U.S. mainland.
State television on Wednesday broadcast a photo of Kim's signed order where he wrote: "Test launch is approved. Taking place at the daybreak of Nov. 29! Fire with courage for the party and country!"
The North says Kim gave the order for the launch on Tuesday.
The ICBM launched early Wednesday morning was described as the Hwasong-15, with the capability to carry a nuclear warhead and with "significantly more" power than missiles it's tested earlier. Outside governments and analysts concur the North made a jump in missile capability with the launch.
- Star
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