North Korea launched a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile on Thursday, following warnings the previous day by officials in Seoul that the dictatorship intended to carry out this provocative action in the lead-up to the U.S. presidential election.
The Japanese Defense Ministry first detected the morning deployment, estimating the projectile’s one hour and 26-minute flight time as the longest ever achieved by the rogue nation.
The rocket’s trajectory reached a reported altitude of 4,350 miles and traversed 620 miles. A source in the United States confirmed to Reuters that the Pentagon classified the device as an ICBM.
South Korean military officials presumed the weapon's unexpected performance might suggest it was of a type or had a modification Pyongyang had not previously possessed.
The incident follows international criticism directed at the North Korean regime for stationing an estimated 11,000 combat personnel in Russia earlier this month. NATO authorities fear this move is an attempt by the sanctioned country to assist Moscow in its war against Ukraine.
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