North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that flew longer than any previous one tested by Kim Jong Un's regime, a show of defiance hours after South Korea and the US criticized his move to send troops to Russia.
The missile was fired at a lofted angle from an area near the capital Pyongyang early Thursday, flying some 1,000 kilometers off into waters off its east coast, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. It was in the air for some 86 minutes, the longest flight recorded for a missile fired by North Korea, Japanese Minister of Defense Gen Nakatani told reporters.
North Korea's first ICBM launch this year comes shortly after it began dispatching soldiers to assist Russia with its war in Ukraine, prompting officials in the US and South Korea to warn of a potential escalation in the two-and-a-half year conflict. North Korea's state media confirmed the launch, which serves as a reminder of the nation's threat to the US mainland, and said it would continue to strengthen modern strategic offensive forces.
The US condemned North Korea's launch as needlessly raising tensions, adding that it didn't pose an immediate threat to American personnel, territory or its allies. South Korea said it will conduct joint exercises with the US, involving American strategic assets, to show the alliance's commitment to deter North Korea.
North Korea has a habit of taking provocative actions, including conducting tests of ballistic missiles and nuclear devices, to coincide with US elections. Kim is seeking to miniaturize warheads for strikes in the region and increase the power of warheads for an ICBM, which "- if it works successfully "- would give him the capability of hitting the US with a nuclear weapon.
Thursday's launch appears to have involved a new solid-fuel ICBM, South Korea's military said. Such missiles have propellants baked into rockets that allow them to be rolled out and fired in minutes, giving the US less time to prepare for interception. The challenge becomes even greater if the missile carries several warheads rather than one.
"Longer flight time means longer flight range," said Yang Uk, a research fellow at the Seoul-based Asan Institute for Policy Studies. "The missile can carry larger, or more payloads if it's eyeing the same target."
Still, it's unclear whether the country's ICBMs can avoid anti-missile systems deployed in the US. It's also unknown if Pyongyang's weapons are refined enough to strike their intended targets, or whether the warheads could survive reentry into the atmosphere.
The US and its allies have sought to discourage Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Kim from deploying North Korean soldiers to the front line of the war on Ukraine.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that the planned deployment of about 10,000 North Korean troops to Russia risks "lengthening or broadening the conflict," after a meeting with his South Korean counterpart, Kim Yong-hyun.
In return for sending troops, there's a "high chance" that North Korea will seek cutting-edge technology transfers from Russia - including technology related to tactical nuclear weapons, ICBMs, reconnaissance satellites and ballistic missile submarines, South Korea's Kim said.
The US and its allies are monitoring the movements of North Korean troops that have been sent to Russia. Some troops have been sent to the Kursk region in Russia, where Ukrainian forces made gains this year.
