Nov 29 (Nikkei) - North Korea launched what appears to be an intercontinental ballistic missile early Wednesday morning, reaching a higher altitude than previous tests and suggesting one of the longest ranges in the country's arsenal.
The missile took flight at around 3:17 a.m. from the vicinity of the city of Pyongsong, north of Pyongyang, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported, citing sources at the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff. It flew for 53 minutes before landing roughly 250km off Japan's coast in the Sea of Japan, Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters in Tokyo early Wednesday morning.
A preliminary analysis by the U.S. Department of Defense indicates the missile was likely an ICBM.
President Donald Trump told reporters in Washington that the U.S. "will take care of" the situation. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issued a statement condemning the launch.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters in Tokyo that "the international community must band together and fully implement sanctions" on North Korea to apply "maximum pressure" regardless of any provocation.
The rocket traveled an estimated 960km from its point of origin and reached a maximum altitude of about 4,500km, according to Yonhap -- far higher than past North Korean launches. It appears to have been launched at a lofted trajectory, which sacrifices distance for height. When launched at a more typical angle, the missile could have a range of more than 10,000km, the news service said.
Source: ANNnewsCH
