Muristek
Seoul, March 25
North Korea said on Friday it test-fired its biggest-yet intercontinental ballistic missile under the orders of leader Kim Jong-Un, who vowed to expand the North's "nuclear war deterrent" while preparing for a "long-standing confrontation" with the United States.
The report by North Korean state media came a day after the militaries of South Korea and Japan said they detected the North launching an ICBM in its first long-range test since 2017.
The launch extended a barrage of weapons demonstrations this year that analysts say are aimed at forcing the United States to accept the idea of North Korea as a nuclear power and remove crippling sanctions against its broken economy that has been further damaged by pandemic-related difficulties.
The Hwasong-17, which was fired at a high angle to avoid the territorial waters of neighbours, reached a maximum altitude of 6,248 kilometres and travelled 1,090 kilometres during a 67-minute flight before landing in waters between North Korea and Japan, Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said.
KCNA claimed the launch met its technical objectives and proved the ICBM could be operated quickly during wartime conditions.
The South Korean and Japanese militaries had announced similar flight details, which analysts say suggested that the missile could reach targets 15,000 kilometres away when fired on normal trajectory with a warhead weighing less than a tonne.
That would place the entire US mainland within striking distance.
Believed to be about 25 metres long, the Hwasong-17 is the North's longest-range weapon and, by some estimates, the world's biggest road-mobile ballistic missile system.
North Korea revealed the missile in a military parade in October 2020 and Thursday's launch was its first full-range test.
KCNA paraphrased Kim as saying that his new weapon would make the "whole world clearly aware" of the North's bolstered nuclear forces.
He vowed for his military to acquire "formidable military and technical capabilities unperturbed by any military threat and blackmail and keep themselves fully ready for long-standing confrontation with the US imperialists".
The agency published photos of the missile leaving a trail of orange flames as it soared from a launcher truck on an airport runway near the capital, Pyongyang, and Kim smiling and clapping as he celebrated with military officials from an observation deck.
Other images showed Kim penning a memo ordering the Hwasong-17 test flight and approving the launch.
South Korea's military responded to Thursday's launch with live-fire drills of its own missiles launched from land, a fighter jet and a ship, underscoring a revival of tensions as diplomacy remains frozen.
It said it confirmed readiness to execute precision strikes against North Korea's missile launch points as well as command and support facilities.
Seoul's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, criticised the North for breaking its self-imposed moratorium on ICBM tests.
"Whatever North Korea's intent may be, the North must immediately suspend action that create tensions on the Korean Peninsula and destabilises the regional security situation and return to the table for dialogue and negotiations," ministry spokesperson Cha Deok-cheol said in a briefing.
Thursday's test was North Korea's 12th round of launches this year and the most provocative since President Joe Biden took office.
Some experts say the North may resume nuclear testing in coming months.