LOS ANGELES — The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily paused departures at some West Coast airports Monday, following a North Korean missile launch.

The FAA confirmed it had ordered a temporary pause in a statement to Spectrum News, saying: 

"As a matter of precaution, the FAA temporarily paused departures at some airports along the West Coast on Monday evening. Full operations resumed in less than 15 minutes. The FAA regularly takes precautionary measures. We are reviewing the process around this ground stop as we do after all such events."  

Spectrum News also reached out to Major Cameron Hillier with North American Aerospace Defense Command, who said it was aware of the missile launch Monday but determined it was not a threat to the U.S., so they did not issue any warning.

Hillier said he couldn't say why the FAA issued a ground stop, only that it was not at NORAD's direction.

North Korea on Tuesday fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile into its eastern sea, its second launch in a week, following leader Kim Jong Un’s calls to expand its nuclear weapons program in defiance of international opposition.

The launches follow a series of weapons tests in 2021 that underscored how North Korea continues expanding its military capabilities during a self-imposed pandemic lockdown and deadlocked nuclear talks with the United States.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.