North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Thursday designed to threaten the United States, the first ICBM test in nearly a year.
The test comes less than a week before the U.S. presidential election and as North Korea sends thousands of troops to reinforce Russia’s military in the war in Ukraine. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un called the test “an appropriate military action” in response to threatening moves from its adversaries.
“The test-fire is an appropriate military action that fully meets the purpose of informing the rivals, who have intentionally escalated the regional situation and posed a threat to the security of our Republic recently, of our counteraction will,” Kim was quoted in North Korea state news, according to Reuters.
Officials in Japan, South Korea, and the United States identified the tested missile as an ICBM and condemned the launch for raising tensions, according to CBS News.
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The ICBM stayed in flight for 86 minutes and achieved a maximum altitude of 4,350 miles, longer and higher than any other North Korean missile observed to date, Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told reporters. The missile was launched from the North Korean capital of Pyongyang and landed in the Sea of Japan.
The last ICBM North Korea tested, a Hwasong-18 ICBM, was fired in December. The last major weapons test conducted by North Korea took place in September when the North Korean military test-fired a Hwasong-11 short-range ballistic missile, according to The New York Times.
The weapons test comes as North Korea has deployed as many as 12,000 troops to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine, according to American and South Korean officials. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that North Korean troops in Russian uniforms and using Russian equipment are moving toward Ukraine.
Last week, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby called the North Korean troops “fair game” if they enter the war against Ukraine.
“They’re fair targets and the Ukrainian military will defend themselves against North Korean soldiers the same way they’re defending themselves against Russian soldiers,” Kirby said. “There could be dead and wounded North Korean soldiers fighting against Ukraine.”
