On Thursday, five days before the U.S. presidential election, North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the East Sea.
According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the military detected the missile being fired from the Pyongyang area toward the East Sea at approximately 7:10 a.m.
The JCS indicated that the missile is believed to be a long-range ballistic missile launched at a high angle, a tactic used to reduce flight distance intentionally.
The Japanese government estimates that the missile flew for about 80 minutes, setting a new record for flight duration, before reportedly landing approximately 300 kilometers (186 miles) west of Okushiri Island, Hokkaido, outside Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The previous longest flight record for a North Korean ICBM was set on July 12 of last year, when the solid-fuel-based new ICBM Hwasong-18 flew for 74 minutes.
Military authorities have been closely monitoring North Korean military activities, particularly around Pyongyang’s Sunan International Airport, in anticipation of a potential ICBM launch in the lead-up to the U.S. election.
On October 23, through North Korea’s state-run newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, Kim Jong Un threatened to establish a thorough nuclear force response posture while inspecting an ICBM, presumed to be the Hwasong-18, in an underground facility at a strategic missile base. On September 9, North Korea unveiled a new transporter erector launcher (TEL) with what appeared to be 12 axles (24 wheels in total), suggesting the development of a new ICBM, thereby gradually escalating nuclear strike threats against the United States.
Currently, North Korea’s ICBMs are assessed to have achieved a sufficient level of flight capability to reach the U.S. mainland.
Since 2017, North Korea has conducted multiple test launches of liquid-fuel ICBMs, including the Hwasong-14, 15, and 17 and the solid-fuel Hwasong-18 ICBM.
This latest ICBM launch seems aimed at influencing the U.S. election landscape and creating a politically favorable environment for North Korea.
However, North Korea has yet to conduct a standard-angle (30-45 degrees) ICBM launch, which is necessary to verify the warhead’s atmospheric re-entry technology.
North Korea’s decision to opt for a high-angle launch rather than a standard-angle launch that the U.S. might interpret as an act of aggression is seen as a calculated move amid increased international scrutiny following its troop deployment to Russia.
This ballistic missile launch comes 43 days after North Korea’s last test of several short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) on September 18, marking the first ICBM launch in nearly 10 months since the previous launch on December 18, 2023.
United Nations Security Council resolutions prohibit North Korea from launching any ballistic missiles or related technology.
The JCS stated, “Our military has heightened its alert posture and is maintaining a thorough readiness stance, closely sharing information related to North Korean ballistic missiles with U.S. and Japanese authorities.”