North Korea stages 3rd missile test in 3 weeks
http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/28/asia/north-korea-fires-unidentified-projectile/
(CNN)North Korea launched a ballistic missile test Monday, its third in a little over three weeks.
The short-range ballistic missile traveled an estimated 248 miles, splashing down within Japan's exclusive economic zone, an area of sea where commercial ships are known to operate, according to statements from both the Japanese government and the South Korean military.
South Korea and Japan immediately issued strong protests, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promising "concrete action" in response to the test, and South Korean defense chiefs saying the North would face "strong punishment from our military."
Leery of N. Korea, U.S. plans 1st test to shoot down intercontinental-range missile
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/05/29/leery-north-korea-us-plans-first-test-icbm-intercept/102284770/
WASHINGTON — Preparing for North Korea's growing threat, the Pentagon will try to shoot down an intercontinental-range missile for the first time in a test this week. The goal is to more closely simulate a North Korean ICBM aimed at the U.S. homeland, officials said.
The American interceptor has a spotty track record, succeeding in nine of 17 attempts against missiles of less-than-intercontinental range since 1999. The most recent test, in June 2014, was a success, but that followed three straight failures. The system has evolved from the multibillion-dollar effort triggered by President Ronald Reagan's 1983 push for a "Star Wars" solution to ballistic missile threats during the Cold War — when the Soviet Union was the only major worry.