North Korea says it test fired its “new type” of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Hwasong-17 during Thursday’s launch to boost its nuclear deterrent against “US imperialism,” state media reported on Friday.
It was the first full ICBM test by nuclear-armed North Korea since 2017, and flight data indicated the missile flew higher and longer than any of North Korea’s previous tests before crashing into the sea west of Japan.
Leader Kim Jong Un directly guided the test, news agency KCNA reported.
“The emergence of the new strategic weapon of the DPRK would make the whole world clearly aware of the power of our strategic armed forces once again,” Kim said, according to KCNA, using the initials of North Korea’s official name.
The launch drew condemnation from the leaders of the United States, Japan, and South Korea.
Photos released by state media showed a massive missile, painted black with a white nosecone, rising on a column of flame from a launch vehicle.
