North Korea fires intercontinental ballistic missile into Japans territory

LBC GROUP

North Korea on Sunday said it had conducted its latest long-range missile test as a surprise drill, saying it demonstrated its capacity for “fatal nuclear counterattack”.

The intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, fired Saturday landed in waters within Japan’s exclusive economic zone, according to Japan and South Korea.

It was the North’s first missile test since January 1, and followed warnings by the country of a strong response to upcoming US-South Korean military drills.

Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, on Sunday warned Washington and Seoul of an “overwhelming response” to perceived “hostility”.

North Korea’s state news agency said its missile had flown for 1 hour, 6 minutes and 55 seconds, as high as 3,584 miles, then accurately hit an area 614 miles away in open waters.

It said the launch of the Hwasong-15, one of North Korea’s three existing ICBMs, was organized “suddenly” without notice on the order of leader Kim Jong Un.

“The important bit here is that the exercise was ordered day-of, without warning to the crew involved,” Ankit Panda, a missile expert at the Washington–based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told Reuters.

“The amount of time between the order and the launch is likely going to be decreased with additional testing.”

Nuclear-armed North Korea launched more than 70 missiles in 2022 — a record number for a single year. These included ICBMs theoretically capable of striking anywhere in the United States.

At the same time, it resumed preparations for its first nuclear test since 2017.

North Korea said the launch of the Hwasong-15 was meant to further boost its “fatal” nuclear attack capacity against its rivals.