North Korea stays silent on latest missile

North Korea stayed silent Thursday on the ballistic missile it launched the previous day, marking the second straight time Pyongyang has departed from its usual practice of announcing such launches the following morning.

The Korean Central News Agency and the Rodong Sinmun, the most widely read newspaper in the country, had made no mention of the launch as of 7 a.m.

Pyongyang, however, has previously kept quiet about launches it considers minor or lacking propaganda value which means this was not without precedent.

South Korea's military detected the missile launch from Wonsan at around 6 a.m. Wednesday.

The missile flew more than 700 kilometers (435 miles), the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, adding a detailed analysis of its specifications was under way.

It was North Korea's second launch from the Wonsan area in a week, including one last Thursday that Pyongyang has also remained silent about.

The two launches came ahead of the Ulchi Freedom Shield, the annual South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise that Pyongyang has long denounced as preparation for an invasion.

The North last tested a tactical ballistic missile, along with new multiple rocket launchers and other weapons, on June 25.

Yonhap