Senior US Official: US is aware of reports of missile launch from N. Korea

A senior US Administration official came out on the wires last minutes, via Reuters, noting that the US is aware of reports of a missile launch from North Korea.

The US is monitoring the situation and consulting closely with South Korea and Japan.

This comes after North Korea launched at least two projectiles into the sea on Friday, shortly after Pyongyang described South Korea’s president as “impudent” and vowed that inter-Korean talks are over, as cited by the South’s military.

Responding to the launch, Japan’s defense ministry said it did not see any imminent security threat from the latest projectile launch.

The Asian markets saw a cautious start, possible in response to the North Korean missile launch, but the risk sentiment improved amid a bounce in Treasury yields, as the US recession fears fade on solid US retail sales data.