North Korea missile had range to hit USA – Japan

A missile launched by North Korea had enough range it could have hit the US mainland, Japan’s defence minister says. 

The missile landed in the sea roughly 130 miles west of Hokkaido. 

Tensions are high between North Korea and the US – with the United States condemning the launch, and South Korea has ordered stronger deterrence measures against the North. 

North Korea’s FM Choe Son Hui had earlier warned of a “fiercer” response to any increased US military presence in the region.

The same day, North Korea also launched a short-range missile. 

On Friday, a US spokeswoman for the National Security Council said the president had been briefed and the US would consult with partners. 

North Korea missiles pose threat to USA

Over the past two months, North Korea has fired more than 50 missiles, most of which were short-range. These long-range missiles are rare, and pose a threat to the US as they are designed to carry nuclear warheads to anywhere on the US mainland. 

This latest missile – an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) reached an altitude of 6,100km on a lofted trajectory and travelled 1,000km (621 miles), reaching a speed of Mach 22, South Korea’s military said.

A lofted trajectory means the missile flies much higher into space but across a shorter distance than it would if fired on a normal trajectory.

But Japan’s defence minister said the missile had sufficient range to reach the US. 

“Based on calculations taking the trajectory into account, the ballistic missile this time around could have had a range capability of 15,000km, depending on the weight of its warhead, and if that’s the case, it means the US mainland was within its range,” Yasukazu Hamada said.

“We have told (Pyongyang) that we absolutely cannot tolerate such actions,” Mr Kishida told reporters in Thailand.