North Korea’s latest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) could potentially reach US shores, according to Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Yoshimasa Hayashi.
Pyongyang test-launched the projectile earlier on Thursday, describing the move as a warning to its regional adversaries. While North Korean officials did not specify the type of ICBM or provide any technical details, officials in South Korea and Japan estimated its flight time at 87 minutes, with the missile reaching an altitude of up to 7,000km while traveling 1,000km horizontally. North Korea traditionally fires missiles on steep vertical paths, to test their capabilities while avoiding other countries.
At a press-briefing on Thursday afternoon, Hayashi noted that if launched horizontally, the projectile could have a much longer range.
“Based on the information we have obtained about the flight distance and altitude of the ICBM-class ballistic missile launched by North Korea, it is believed that depending on the weight of the warhead, the range could exceed 15,000km,” he stated, as cited by the NHK news outlet. This means the missile could potentially travel as far as the US mainland, as the distance between the two countries is approximately 9,900km.
Hayashi condemned the launch as “an outrageous act that escalates tensions throughout the international community” and claimed it was “totally unacceptable.” He added that Tokyo has lodged a note of protest against North Korea via its embassy in China.
Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani earlier said the missile had come down in the Sea of Japan, outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone and about 200km West of Okushiri Island. He noted that no damage had been reported from aircraft or ships traversing the area, but claimed that the missile “had the longest flight time and the highest flight altitude to date.”
The US Indo-Pacific Command also condemned the test, demanding that North Korea “refrain from further unlawful and destabilizing acts.” It claimed, however, that the launch posed no “immediate threat” to US personnel, territory, or its allies.
North Korea has regularly conducted missile tests amid tensions with South Korea and the US. However, its previous ICBM launch took place in December 2023, when the projectile traveled around 1,000km during a 73-minute flight.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un earlier on Thursday said that the test was “an appropriate military action that fully meets the purpose of informing the rivals, who have intentionally escalated the regional situation and posed a threat to the security of our republic.”