DPRK launches ICBM, says Pentagon

Pentagon said on Friday that an initial assessment showed the missile launched by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) earlier in the day was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The missile traveled about 1,000 kilometers before splashing down into the sea, said Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis in a statement.

The Pentagon was working on a more detailed assessment, Davis said.

The Pentagon said it detected and tracked a single DPRK missile launch at 10:41 a.m. EDT Friday (1441 GMT).

Following DPRK's missile launch, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford, Jr. called his South Korean counterpart Lee Sun Jin to express the "ironclad commitment" to the U.S.-South Korea alliance. U.S. Pacific Command Commander Harry Harris also participated in the call.

"The three leaders also discussed military response options," said a statement issued by Dunford's spokesman Greg Hicks.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)