In its second significant weapons test this month, North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that touched down close to Japanese waters on Friday.
This test indicated a potential capability to carry out nuclear attacks across the U.S. mainland.
Although it is unknown whether North Korea has nuclear-armed missiles in operation, some experts claim that Friday’s launch contained the country’s longest-range missile, which is still in development and is intended to carry several nuclear warheads to get past American missile defense systems.
With its latest barrage of weapons tests, North Korea hopes to strengthen its nuclear arsenal and gain more favorable concessions in future negotiations.
China and Russia oppose American efforts to toughen U.N. measures designed to stop North Korea’s nuclear program.
The US swiftly denounced the launch, which threatened to take “all necessary steps” to ensure the safety of its soil and those of its allies, Japan and South Korea.
To discuss the launch, Vice President Kamala Harris met with the leaders of those nations and Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, who are in Bangkok for a regional summit.
“We again urge North Korea to discontinue its illegal and unstable behavior. At the beginning of the meeting, Harris declared, “On behalf of the United States, I reaffirm our unwavering commitment to our Indo-Pacific relationships.
The nations participating here will cooperate to press North Korea to engage in honest and persistent diplomacy.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea claimed to have discovered the ICBM launch from the capital region of North Korea at roughly 10:15 a.m.
According to Japan, it seemed to fly on a high trajectory and land west of Hokkaido.
The missile traveled 6,000–6,100 kilometers (3,600–3,790 miles) at a maximum altitude of 1,000 kilometers, according to assessments from South Korea and Japan (620 miles).
According to Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada, the missile could reach the entire mainland of the United States if it had a range of more than 15,000 kilometers (9,320 miles), depending on the weight of a prospective warhead.
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