Associated Press.
The missile launched by North Korea on Wednesday never posed a threat to the U.S., according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command.
“Initial indications are that the first stage fell into the Yellow Sea,” Defense Department spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said in a statement. “The second stage was assessed to fall into the Philippine Sea.”
It appears the missile was able to put an object into orbit, Smith said.
“At no time was the missile or the resultant debris a threat to North America,” she said.
A spokesman for the National Security Council called North Korea’s missile launch a “provocative act” that defied United Nations Security Council resolutions.
“Devoting scarce resources to the development of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons has not brought it security and acceptance by the international community—and never will,” Tommy Vietor said in a statement. “North Korea will only truly strengthen itself by abiding by international norms, living up to its commitments and international obligations, and working to feed its citizens, to educate its children, and to win the trust of its neighbors.”
