N Korea's latest missile launch breaches inter-Korean military accords - S Korea

The United States and South Korea have agreed to "prudently" deal with North Korea's launch of a short-range missile on Saturday, according to the South Korean foreign ministry. South Korea also alleged that the missile launch breached inter-Korean military accords which were signed between the two states last year, according to Yonhap News Agency. "Regarding today's launch, the two sides agreed to prudently deal with it and continue to communicate while continuing additional analysis (of the launch)," the ministry said.

The statement comes after the US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha held talks via phone, hours after the North Korean launch on Saturday. Kang also spoke with her Japanese counterpart Taro Kono over the phone with regard to Pyongyang's latest move and vowed to respond "with discretion". The unidentified short-range missile was launched in the eastern direction from the east coast town of Wonsan in North Korea, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

This latest development comes at a time when denuclearisation talks between the US and North Korea have hit a roadblock following the abrupt ending of the second US-North Korea summit held in Hanoi earlier this year. The two sides reportedly failed to resolve their differences over the ease of sanctions, leading to the summit ending with no agreement. The much-awaited agreement was expected to chart out the future course in the denuclearisation process, which was agreed upon by Pyongyang in the first US-North Korea summit held in Singapore last year.

(With inputs from agencies.)