North Korea is testing its latest ICBM
North Korea tested its latest Hwasong18 ICBM on Wednesday. The release drew criticism from the United States and other countries.
“The test is an essential process to further develop Korea’s strategic nuclear strength while serving as a strong practical warning to opponents,” state news agency KCNA said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who oversaw the test, said the country will take increasingly stringent measures to protect itself until the US and its allies end their hostile policies.
Koreans accuse the Americans of escalating political tensions and creating a climate of nuclear war by sending submarines to the Korean Peninsula last week.
The United Nations Security Council, which passed resolutions banning North Korea’s development of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, will meet publicly on Thursday to discuss the missile launch.
Japan said the missile landed in the sea east of the Korean Peninsula, about 250km west of Okushiri Island.
The Hwasong18’s 74minute flight time was the longest ever achieved in a North Korean missile test, state news agency KCNA said.
North Korea said the missile flew 1,001 km (622 miles) to an altitude of 6,648 km. The Hwasong18 was first launched in April.
This is the first ICBM to use solid propellants, allowing the missiles to operate in any environment.
Photos released by KCNA showed the missile flying from a multiwheeled mobile vehicle called the Transport Assembly Launcher (TEL). This transport allows launching missiles from different locations in unpredictable environments.