ROK-U.S. RESPOND TO N. KOREA’S MISSILE

[Anchor Lead]

In response to North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile on Tuesday, the South Korean and U.S. military authorities fired surface-to-surface missiles. The Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that the missiles showed the allies' response capabilities. But one of the South Korean missiles crashed inside a military base.

[Pkg]

The South Korean and U.S. militaries responded to North Korea's IRBM launch with joint missile firings. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the allied forces each fired two ground-to-ground ATACMS toward a mock target in the East Sea. The JCS said the allied forces showed their response capabilities to deter any additional provocations from the North. It added that the drill showed they are capable of incapacitating the source of provocation, while maintaining total readiness against North Korea's provocation. Seoul's military also fired a Hyunmoo-2 ballistic missile, but it failed right after launch and fell on the base grounds. Military authorities reported no casualties and are looking into the cause of the accident. Prior to the response measures, four F-15K fighter jets from the South Korean Air Force and four American F-16 fighter jets flew in attack formation. The F-15Ks sent a warning to North Korea by dropping two precision bombs on a mock target in the Jikdo Firing Range in the West Sea. North Korea's IRBM that was launched from Mupyeong-ri, Jagang-do Province Tuesday flew more than 4,500 kilometers over Japan's northern prefectures. The missile was believed to be a Hwasong-12, judging from its maximum altitude of about 970 kilometers and speed of Mach 17.