North Korea launches suspected ballistic missile that can reach distant US bases

North Korea fired a ballistic missile towards the sea on Sunday, South Korea said – its first launch this year (Ahn Young-joon/AP)

North Korea fired a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile towards the sea on Sunday, South Korea’s military said – its first launch this year.

The move came two months after the North claimed to have tested engines for a new harder-to-detect missile capable of striking distant US targets in the region.