North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile, Accuses U.S. of Escalating Tensions

North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile towards the sea off its east coast, flying about 570 km before falling in the ocean. The launch came amidst condemnation of U.S.-led military shows of force, including the arrival of a U.S. submarine in South Korea, which North Korea deemed as a preview of a nuclear war. South Korea and Japan had warned that North Korea was preparing to test-fire a missile, potentially one of its longest-range intercontinental ballistic missiles. The launch is a violation of UN Security Council resolutions, and North Korea defended its actions as its sovereign right to self-defense.