According to South Korea, North Korea has fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
Pyongyang’s longer-range missiles are aimed to reach the US mainland.
The missile crashed in the water about 210 kilometers (130 miles) west of Hokkaido, according to Japan’s Coast Guard.
North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui warned on Thursday of a “fiercer” response to US intentions to boost its military posture in the region.
On the same day, it also launched a short-range ballistic missile.
This came after a discussion on the sidelines of a summit in Cambodia on Sunday between US President Joe Biden, South Korean leader Yoon Suk-yeol, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Later, Mr. Biden stated that the three countries were “more aligned than ever” in response to North Korea’s “provocative behavior.”
North Korea has launched more than 50 missiles in the last two months, the majority of them have been short-range. These long-range launches are more common, and they represent a direct threat to the United States because the missiles are designed to carry nuclear warheads to any location on the US mainland.
The newest alleged ICBM was launched around 10:15 a.m. local time (02:15 GMT) from near Pyongyang, according to military officials in Seoul.
On a lofted trajectory, it reached an altitude of 6,100km and traveled 1,000km (621 miles) at a speed of Mach 22, according to South Korea’s military.
A lofted trajectory indicates that the missile flies much higher into space but for a much shorter distance than if fired on a standard trajectory.
However, Japan’s defense minister, Yasukazu Hamada, stated that the missile had enough range to reach the United States and could travel up to 15,000 kilometers (9.320 miles).
Mr. Yoon of South Korea criticized the launch and said he would work with the international community to plan a response.
“We have told (Pyongyang) that such measures will not be tolerated,” Japan’s Mr. Kishida told reporters in Thailand.
North Korea has launched missiles in retaliation to US military activities on the Korean Peninsula in recent months.
It is building the Hwasong-17, a new type of long-range missile that is larger than the ICBMs it has successfully tested in the past.
Experts believe that multiple efforts to launch the Hwasong-17 have failed and that the North has yet to get it to fly its whole course.
North Korea flew a ballistic missile over Japan in October, the first time in five years.
Pyongyang conducted six nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017, despite punishing sanctions, and is said to be contemplating a seventh.
It has also increased its military capability.
