North Korea confirmed the launch of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on October 31, setting a record for the longest flight duration of any missile it has tested.
The missile was fired toward waters off North Korea’s eastern coast. State media outlet KCNA reported the launch.
North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, called the launch a necessary show of strength.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the launch around 7:10 a.m. local time, while Japanese officials reported that the missile landed 200 kilometers off Japan’s Hokkaido coast, after 87 minutes in the air.
Reaching an altitude of 7,000 kilometers (4,350 miles) and traveling 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), this test points to major advancements in North Korea’s missile technology.
The launch took place just hours after U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun met in Washington to discuss North Korea’s increasing military support for Russia in Ukraine.
Earlier this year, North Korea tested new ballistic missiles, including models designed to carry multiple warheads.
On October 14, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted intelligence reports indicating North Korean forces are fighting alongside Russia in Ukraine, with reports of a missile strike on October 3 that killed 20 soldiers, including six North Korean officers.
