朝鲜向海域试射导弹

South Korean military officials say North Korea has fired a ballistic missile into the ocean off its eastern coast.

The U.S. military said it detected two simultaneous missile launches, one was successful and the other exploded immediately after launch.

Officials say the missile, believed to be a medium-range Rodong missile, was fired just before 8 a.m. Wednesday from Unyul in the country\'s western Hwanghae province and flew about 1,000 kilometers before landing in or close to Japanese waters.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the missile launch a "grave threat" to Japan\'s security and expressed strong objections to the North\'s continued ballistic missile aspirations.

The United States immediately responded to the test Wednesday, warning the North Koreans that it is ready to defend itself and its allies from any provocation.

North Korea is seeking to develop a warhead small enough to be placed on a long-range missile that can reach the continental United States. But South Korean defense officials say Pyongyang does not yet have such a miniaturized warhead.

美国军方说，他们监测到朝鲜同时发射了两枚导弹，一枚发射成功，另一枚发射后即刻爆炸。

有关官员说，试射的导弹据信是中程“芦洞”导弹，星期三上午接近8点时从朝鲜西部黄海南道殷栗郡发射，导弹飞行大约1000公里后在进入或是接近日本海域后落入海中。

日本首相安倍晋三称这次导弹试射是对日本安全的重大威胁，对朝鲜继续研发导弹技术提出强烈反对。

美国星期三也立即作出回应，警告朝鲜说，美国面对挑衅，随时准备保护自己及其盟友。

朝鲜正在努力使其核弹头小型化，以便可以装载到可以打到美国本土的远程导弹上。但是韩国国防官员说，平壤目前还没有研制成功小型核弹头。