South Korea finance ministry to review stability measures if needed over North Korea risks

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's finance ministry said on Tuesday it will monitor financial markets around the clock and act according to its contingency plans to stabilise markets if needed after North Korea's latest missile test. "Our view is that we need to fully prepare and make stern responses to manage risks at home and abroad," the ministry said after a policy meeting with the Bank of Korea and financial regulators that was urgently called after the launch. North Korea fired a missile that flew over Japan and landed in waters off the northern region of Hokkaido earlier on Tuesday, South Korean and Japanese officials said, marking a sharp escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula. (Reporting by Cynthia Kim; Editing by Paul Tait)