After 75 days of 'silence', North Korea suddenly launched a ballistic missile

(Baonghean.vn) - According to the US and South Korean militaries, North Korea launched a long-range missile from an area north of Pyongyang early on the morning of November 29, returning to provocative moves after a 75-day hiatus.

North Korea launched the Hwasong-12 ballistic missile on September 15. Photo: Yonhap

“North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile toward the Sea of ​​Japan from the vicinity of Pyongsong, South Pyongan Province, at around 3:17 a.m. today (local time), South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The source said the missile flew about 960 km with a maximum angle of about 4,500 km. Data suggests that North Korea may have tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The missile was apparently launched from a high angle. If launched from a standard angle, it could have traveled a maximum of 10,000 km. Hawaii, the headquarters of US forces in the Pacific, is within the range of 7,575 km.

“Initial assessment indicates this was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM),” Pentagon spokesman Robert Manning said in a statement, adding that the missile flew about 1,000 km and landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

“We are working with our partners to further assess the test launch,” he said. “The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) determined that the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America, our territories or our allies.”

According to the South Korean presidential Blue House, Moon Jae-in convened a National Security Council meeting to discuss the issue. The South Korean armed forces also conducted a “precision strike” missile launch near the Northern Limit Line in the Sea of ​​Japan starting at around 3:23 a.m. in response to North Korea’s provocation, according to the JCS.

The test launch involved an army missile unit, a navy Aegis ship and an air force KF-16 fighter jet, each launching a missile at a simulated target set at a distance equivalent to the launch location from where North Korea launched its ballistic missile.

“Our military is closely monitoring North Korea’s military activities 24 hours a day, which shows that we have the determination and capability to strike the source of provocation and its core infrastructure with precision at any time on land, sea or air,” the JSC said.

North Korea's missile test-fire marked its first missile launch since September 15, when it launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) over Japan, flying about 3,700 km with a maximum altitude of about 770 km. This is Pyongyang's 11th missile provocation since the South Korean president took office in May, with the stated policy goal of improving inter-Korean relations and bringing lasting peace to the peninsula./.

Thu Giang

(According to Yonhap)