Trump Claims North Korea 'Disrespected China' by Firing Off Ballistic Missile

Following the latest missile test by North Korea, US President Donald Trump took to Twitter, accusing Pyongyang of disrespect for China and its leadership.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Trump described North Korea’s new failed missile launch as a show of disrespect toward its ally, China, and its president.

North Korea disrespected the wishes of China & its highly respected President when it launched, though unsuccessfully, a missile today. Bad!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 28 апреля 2017 г.

​"North Korea disrespected the wishes of China & its highly respected President when it launched, though unsuccessfully, a missile today. Bad!" the president tweeted.

Earlier on Friday, a South Korean news outlet reported that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched a ballistic missile. The media speculated that the launched projectile was a KN-17 intermediate ballistic missile, a type of Scud that can be used to target ships.

But an unnamed US official told the broadcaster later that the missile had disintegrated over land after flying approximately 20 miles and did not reach the sea.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reportedly said it was launched from a location north of Pyongyang at around 5:30 a.m local time (20:30GMT). The initial assessment is that the launch failed.