North Korea Test-Fires ICBM, US Warns Nuclear Attack By North Korea Would Be End Of Kim "Regime"

The missile launch, confirmed by North Korean state media is believed to be a new-type solid-fuel ICBM and had a record flight time.

PYONGYANG/SEOUL - North Korea has test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the East Sea (Sea of Japan) after reports surfaced that the country was planning on doing so. The test fire comes as elections in the United States near.

Image: KCNA

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After the South Korean military reported the test fire, reporting that said it was believed to be a new-type solid-fuel ICBM, Pyongyang confirmed the launch in a statement in its state media.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently inspected tactical missile bases: KCNA

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that it detected that the missile had been fired in a lofted trajectory at around 7:10 a.m. local time from the East Sea (which is also known as the Sea of Japan). It added that the missile flew about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) before landing into the Sea of Japan.

"Early assessment showed there is a possibility (North Korea) may have test-fired a new type of solid-fuel long-range ballistic missile," JCS spokesperson Lee Sung-jun said during a press briefing.

According to the Japanese military in an analysis that was also shared with the South Korean JCS, the missile hit a new record by flying for about 86 minutes. It reached a maximum altitude of around 7,000 kilometers (4350 miles) during its flight.

In a statement by the North Korean military posted by the country's state media, it said, "The Missile Administration of the DPRK conducted a very crucial test on Thursday". 

The statement added, "The test-fire, conducted under the order given by the head of state of the DPRK, updated the recent records of the strategic missile capability of the DPRK and demonstrated the modernity and creditability of its world's most powerful strategic deterrent."

The statement then cited North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as saying:

"The test-fire is 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 recently, of our counteraction will, and it also constitutes an indispensable process in the course of constantly developing our state's strategic attack forces.

As recently witnessed by us, the rivals' dangerous tightening of their nuclear alliance and various adventuristic military maneuvers go to further highlight the importance of strengthening our nuclear forces. We should never allow any threat to approach the security sphere under our state's influence.

The security situation of our state and ever-aggravating prospective threats and challenges require us to continue to bolster up our modern strategic attack forces and more perfectly round off our nuclear forces' response posture. I affirm that the DPRK will never change its line of bolstering up its nuclear forces."

US Warns North Korea That A Nuclear Attack Would Be The End Of Its "Regime"