WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Earlier Sunday, North Korea launched a long-range rocket from the country’s northwest.
"US Strategic Command systems detected and tracked what we assess was a North Korean missile launch into space at 6:29 p.m. CST. The missile was tracked on a southerly launch over the Yellow Sea," the statement read.
The launch did not threaten North America, the statement read.
The Strategic Command said it remained "vigilant in the face of North Korean provocations," and expressed its commitment "to working closely with our Republic of Korea and Japanese allies to maintain security."