N.Korea Launches Ballistic Missile as U.S. Counts Mid-Term Votes

North Korea fired an obsolete Russian ballistic missile into the East Sea on Wednesday afternoon as the vote count in U.S. midterm elections was underway. 

The regime often launches provocations to coincide with major U.S. events to draw attention to itself. North Korean warplanes also carried out a maneuver the same day.

"The North fired a short-range ballistic missile into the East Sea from Sukchon, South Pyongan Province at 3:31 p.m. Wednesday," the Joint Chiefs of Staff here said. "Our military has beefed up surveillance and reconnaissance and is maintaining complete readiness while cooperating closely with the U.S." 

The missile flew 290 km at a speed of Mach 6 and reached an altitude of 30 km.

The latest missile provocation came after the regime fired a volley of some 35 missiles from Nov. 2 to 5, when South Korea and the U.S. were staging massive joint air drills dubbed "Vigilant Storm." 

Wednesday was also the third day of the South Korean military's annual "Taegeuk" command post exercises designed to respond to threats of North Korea’s nuclear missiles and a full-scale war.