North Korea on Wednesday claimed the successful launch of a new advanced ballistic missile that it said placed the entire US within range.
The announcement followed a launch earlier in the day that shattered a 75-day lull in North Korea’s rocket tests and raised concerns that the regime was nearing completion of its advanced weapons programme.
Launched from an area north of Pyongyang, the projectile flew roughly 1,000km before crashing into the Sea of Japan. The rocket reached an apogee of 4,500km — more than 10 times the altitude of the International Space Station — suggesting it was an advanced intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach most of the US.