South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff says North Korea has test-fired a missile from the western part of its country.
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The missile reportedly exploded within seconds of launch and landed in the Sea of Japan according to CNN.
The launch comes at a point of particularly high tension. President Donald Trump has taken a hard line with Pyongyang and sent a U.S. aircraft supercarrier to Korean waters.
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The test took place in an area north of the capital city of Pyongyang.
While shorter-range missiles are somewhat routine, there is strong outside worry about each longer range North Korean ballistic test.