S. Korea, US, Japan hold phone consultations, share intelligence after North Korea ballistic missile launch

The diplomatic authorities of South Korea, the United States and Japan discussed their response to North Korea's ballistic missile launch.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Yonhap, Baek Yong-jin, director general of the Korean Peninsula Policy Bureau, held phone consultations Saturday with David Wailezol, the Department of State's deputy assistant secretary for Japan and Korea, and Ariyoshi Takashi, a senior official at Japan's Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, sharing relevant intelligence.

North Korea fired a ballistic missile from the Wonsan area into the Donghae at around 6:30 a.m. Saturday. The missile flew more than 700 kilometers, and South Korean and US military authorities are conducting a detailed analysis of its exact specifications.

The three countries' diplomatic authorities maintain a channel to swiftly share relevant information and situational assessments each time North Korea launches a ballistic missile.