North Korea fired three more ballistic missiles off its east coast on Thursday, including what South Korea and U.S. officials have described as an intercontinental ballistic missile test.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the long-range missile was fired at about 7:40 a.m. local time from close to Pyongyang’s Sunan District. It traveled roughly 475 miles, reaching an altitude of nearly 1,200 miles. The missile, a Hwasong-17, failed during its second stage separation, though it appeared to have failed in normal flight, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.
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Roughly an hour later, the North Koreans fired two more short-range missiles, according to the Joint Staff. The two follow-up missiles traveled roughly 200 miles, at a top speed of Mach 5.
“The United States strongly condemns the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) for its test of an Intercontinental ballistic missile,” National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement. “The President and his national security team are assessing the situation in close coordination with our allies and partners. This launch, in addition to the launch of multiple other ballistic missiles this week, is a flagrant violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region.”
State Department spokesman Ned Price added in a different statement, “This action underscores the need for all countries to fully implement DPRK related UN Security Council resolutions, which are intended to prohibit the DPRK from acquiring the technologies and materials needed to carry out these destabilizing tests. Together, with the international community, we call on the DPRK to refrain from further provocations and engage in sustained and substantive dialogue.”
Thursday’s tests did not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel in the region, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said.
“The United States condemns these actions and calls on the DPRK to refrain from any further unlawful and destabilizing acts,” INDOPACOM said. “While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel, or territory, or to our allies, we will continue to monitor the situation. The U.S. commitments to the defense of the ROK and Japan remain ironclad.”
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A day earlier, North Korea launched about two dozen missiles, with one that landed off the coast of South Korea for the first time. It was the most it had fired in a single day this year, while leader Kim Jong Un has continued to pursue nuclear capabilities. North Korea has continued its weapons tests and fiery rhetoric as the U.S. and South Korea participated in joint military exercises this week.
