North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects the training of the air force at an indefinite site (North Korea media/ VNA)

He is the first US official to confirm the launch. Shanahan told reporters at the Pentagon that North Korea conducted a test, but it didn’t involve a ballistic weapon and didn’t trigger any change in US military operations. North Korea says it test-fired a new type of tactical guided weapon. The test didn’t appear to be of a banned mid- or long-range ballistic missile that could scuttle ongoing nuclear negotiations. The US State Department says the US remains ready to engage North Korea in constructive negotiations.