<p>As confirmed by the Pentagon, North Korea test-fired some kind of ballistic missile early Sunday morning.</p>
<p>US officials believe the weapon was a KN-17 medium-range ballistic missile. This was the first success in a series of four attempts to fire the ;weapon.</p>
<p>The KN-17 flew roughly 430 miles before splashing into the sea just 250 miles from Japanese shores. According to Japanese officials, the missile reached an unprecedented altitude of 1,200 miles.</p>
<p>Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the missile test a &ldquo;grave threat&rdquo; to his nation and reaffirmed his commitment to working with South Korea and the US in response.</p>
<p>North Korea insists the missile was capable of carrying a nuke, but this claim has yet to be verified.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The test-fire aimed at verifying the tactical and technological specifications of the newly developed ballistic rocket capable of carrying a large-size heavy nuclear warhead,&rdquo; reports the North&rsquo;s official KCNA news agency. &ldquo;If the US awkwardly attempts to provoke the DPRK, it will not escape from the biggest disaster in the history.&#8221;</p>
<p>US officials believe North Korea plans to use the KN-17 to target ships, but Kim Jong-un has warned Washington not to misjudge the reality that the US mainland is in Pyongyang&rsquo;s &ldquo;sighting range for strike.&rdquo;</p>
<p>The surprise launch follows Moon Jae-in&#8217;s election in South Korea and comes directly after a top North Korean diplomat suggested that Pyongyang would be open to negotiations with the US.</p>
<p>Gordon Chang, author of <em>Nuclear Showdown: North Korea takes on the world</em>, believes the timing of the launch is meant to influence upcoming negotiations with the US and South Korea.</p>
<p>&ldquo;I think the North Koreans right now think that this is a perfect time for them to really corral the international community, including the United States, get them to sit down, and to do what North Korea wants.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Moon Jae-in is the first liberal president to be elected in South Korea in nearly a decade. He has expressed a desire to improve relations and even send aid to his northern neighbor, but this launch may jeopardize that attitude.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The president expressed deep regret over the fact that this reckless provocation&hellip;occurred just days after a new government was launched in South Korea,&rdquo; said senior presidential secretary Yoon Young-chan. &ldquo;The president said we are leaving open the possibility of dialogue with North Korea, but we should sternly deal with a provocation to prevent North Korea from miscalculating.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Meanwhile, troops from the US, Japan, and two European countries are gathering near Guam for joint drills that are in part a warning to North Korea. The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier is also engaging with South Korean ships in waters off the peninsula.</p>
<p>The UNSC plans to meet Tuesday to discuss Pyongyang&rsquo;s latest launch. ;</p>
<p><strong>Editor&#8217;s note:</strong> This is not surprising given the story yesterday that North Korea may be willing to engage in talks.  ;With Trump&#8217;s attack on Syria (because of the use of chemical weapons), the U.S. is working from a position of strengh. North Korea wants to start talks in the strongest possible position and is making a show of it.</p>