The UN Security Council will meet on later today to discuss North Korea at the request of the United States, despite China and Russia telling council counterparts they were opposed to an open meeting.
A US aircraft carrier is to be redeployed to South Korea’s east coast, following Tuesday’s ballistic missile test by Pyongyang.
Although the Pentagon has refused to confirm which ship is being sent, the Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier USS Ronald Reagan is in the area and as recently as last week was taking part in military drills with the South Korean navy.
The flagship of Carrier Strike Group Five, the Ronald Reagan has a compliment of 90 fixed wing aircraft and helicopters.
South Korea and the US have also been conducting firing and bombing drills in the Yellow Sea, including volleys of missiles.
Officials confirmed that a South Korean Hyunmoo-2 missile failed shortly after launch and crashed during the drill, but that no one was hurt.
South Korea’s military said that the missile carried a warhead but that it did not explode, and apologised for causing residents to worry.