North Korea says it has successfully test-fired a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile that can carry a very large nuclear warhead to anywhere in the US mainland.
The announcement about the Hwasong-15 was made in what the North called an important broadcast by its state-run TV on Wednesday. It added that the country’s leader Kim Jong Un observed the launch.
Earlier in the day, the South Korean military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North launched a ballistic missile at about 3:17 AM on Wednesday from Pyongsong in South Phyongan Province toward the Sea of Japan.
The North’s state TV said the missile was launched in a lofted trajectory at a very steep angle. It added that the missile reached an altitude of 4,475 kilometers and traveled for 53 minutes on a scheduled course.
It also said the success of the launch despite pressure from the United States and others is a victory for the North Korean people.
The North test-fired 2 Hwasong-14 missiles in July. The country says such missiles are also ICBMs.
Wednesday’s announcement was the first for a launch of a Hwasong-15.
Source and image: NHK
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