Update 20:15 GMT: Statement from U.S. DOD assessing a likely ICBM launch

North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Wednesday morning Pyongyang time, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported – citing the ROK’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The missile test represents Pyongyang’s first launch since September 15, when it successfully fired an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) Hwasong-12 missile.

“North Korea launched an unidentified ballistic missile into the East Sea from the vicinity of Pyongsong, South Pyongan Province, at around 3:17 a.m. today,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The missile reached an altitude of 4500km and