NKorea fires missile after threatening 'fiercer' step

(UPDATED) SEOUL: North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile toward its eastern waters on Thursday, hours after it threatened to launch "fiercer" military responses to the United States bolstering its security commitment to its East Asian allies South Korea and Japan.

The missile fired from the North's eastern coastal Wonsan area at 10:48 a.m. (9:48 a.m. in Manila) landed in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, according to its neighbors. After detecting the launch, South Korean, American and Japanese militaries quickly condemned the launch that they say threatens stability in the region.