According to U.S., South Korean and Japanese officials, North Korea fired a medium-range missile on Sunday. This is its second missile test in a week as it works to speed up its nuclear weapon and missile development.

The country launched strategic missile Pukguksong-2 from an area near Pukchang, in South Pyongyan Province, said South Korean officials. The missile flew about 310 miles eastward before landing in the sea.

The missile did not reach higher than 620 miles, according to Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised the missile test, reported state news agency KCNA on Monday local time. However, KCNA did not state when the missile test occurred.

“The Supreme Leader issued an order to launch the missile at the observation post,” stated the North Korean news agency. Kim Jong Un, along with officials “analyzed the results of the test launch and expressed his great satisfaction over them, saying it is perfect.”

The U.S. Pacific Command also tracked the missile until it landed.

According to White House officials traveling in Saudi Arabia with President Trump, this missile was the same system as KN-15, which North Korea tested in February. The missile was also launched from the same area as KN-15, reported researcher Joseph Dempsey from the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.

However, Sunday’s missile had a shorter range than the missiles launched in North Korea’s most recent tests.

On May 14 North Korea tested a longer-range missile. According to North Korea, the missile reached an altitude of more than 1,300 miles and landed about 480 miles from its launching site.

This test was a significant advance and possibly a stepping stone to a longer-range weapon for North Korea, said Melissa Hanham, senior researcher associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in California.

Because the missiles at hand are built in two or three stages stacked on top of each other, “this may become half or third” of an intercontinental ballistic missile, according to Hanham.

The test earlier this month gave the country greater information on creating a re-entry vehicle, which is required to protect nuclear warheads from intense heat and vibration in the earth’s atmosphere. It also revealed that North Korea is now capable to attacking Guam, a U.S. territory.

After North Korea’s test on Sunday, the United States increased its push for U.N sanctions against North Korea. North Korea is ultimately working to develop an intercontinental nuclear-tipped missile that can reach the United States.

During a Friday interview at the Pentagon, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis stated that North Korea evidently does not wish to comply with the international community. The country is currently banned from developing or testing ballistic missiles, according to a series of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

A military standoff with North Korea over its nuclear weapons would be “tragic on an unbelievable scale,” said Mattis, expressing his desire for a peaceful resolution.

South Korea, which inaugurated its new president Moon Jae-in on May 9, shared similar feelings. “The repeated provocation is reckless and irresponsible, like pouring cold water on the wishes of our government and the international community for denuclearization and peace to prevail in the Korean Peninsula,” stated its Foreign Ministry. President Moon Jae-in also called for a dialogue with North Korea, wanting to discuss nuclear issues.

Japan condemned North Korea as well, stating its “repeated provocative acts… are totally unacceptable.”

China, North Korea’s longtime ally, also criticized the nuclear missile tests. In order to ease tensions, it stated that both North Korea and the United States need to compromise. While North Korea should stop developing nuclear missiles, the United States should end the war games around the Korean Peninsula.

By war games, China means the multiple American aircraft carriers operating near the Korean Peninsula. Since late April, the carrier USS Carl Vinson and its escorts have been conducting drills with South Korean and Japanese ships. Each carrier holds more than 60 aircraft and sails with guided-missile cruisers and destroyers, which carry Tomahawk cruise missiles.

The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan will soon be leaving the Korean Peninsula, said a recent report from the U.S. Navy.

Nonetheless, North Korea, according to deputy U.N envoy Kim In Ryong, will continue to develop its nuclear program in order to challenge aggression from the U.S.

America’s hostility towards North Korea is “the root of all problems,” said Ryong to reporters. Ryong asserted that Pyongyang would not stop its “nuclear deterrence for self-defense and pre-emptive strike capability,” despite U.S. sanctions.

North Korea will not hesitate to use its “all powerful means for retaliatory strike” if the U.S. takes military action against its nuclear weapons program, said the KCNA.

However, the country has yet to test a long-range missile that could cross the Pacific Ocean. According to missile experts, it may take North Korea years to develop the advanced technology necessary to create a reliable intercontinental ballistic missile. About Brielle Entzminger I am a lover of dance, books, and coffee with way too much sugar. I have been dancing since I was three and am trained in multiple styles, including tap! I also love reading, listening to music, watching Netflix, and hanging out with friends. I am a huge fan of Lana Del Rey and Halsey, and I am in love with Criminal Minds. Finally, I have a great love for traveling. I have been to Europe two times, and I plan to study abroad in France next year, where I will test out (and hopefully improve) my French skills. I hope to travel to many more countries in the future, making fun, unforgettable memories along the way.