North Korea confirmed Monday it test-launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of reaching the US territory of Guam, the North’s most significant weapon launch in years, as Washington plans to show its commitment to its Asian allies with an unspecified move.
Sunday’s launch could be a prelude to bigger provocations by North Korea such as nuclear and long-range missile tests that pose a direct threat to the US mainland, as the North is ramping up pressure on the Biden administration amid stalled nuclear diplomacy.
Some experts say North Korea’s recent testing spree is meant to win sanction relief or an international recognition as a legitimate nuclear state in the face of pandemic-related difficulties and persistent US-led sanctions. They say North Korea could conduct bigger tests if it’s slapped with new sanctions over Sunday’s launch.
KCNA published two sets of combination photos — one showing the missile rising from a launcher and soaring into space and the other showing North Korea and nearby areas that it said were photographed by a camera installed at the missile’s warhead. The Associated Press decided not to use the images because the authenticity of the photos couldn’t be verified.
North Korea said the missile was launched toward the waters off its east coast and on a high angle to prevent it from overflying other countries. It gave no further details.
According to South Korean and Japanese assessment, the missile flew about 800 kilometers (497 miles) and reached a maximum altitude of 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) before landing in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
The reported flight details make it the most powerful missile North Korea tested since 2017, when the country launched Hwasong-12 and longer-range missiles in a torrid run of weapons firings to acquire an ability to launch nuclear strikes on US military bases in North Asia and the Pacific and even the American homeland.
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