N. Korea fires one ICBM toward East Sea: S. Korean military

SEOUL. KAZINFORM North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) toward the East Sea on Friday, the South Korean military said, in apparent protest over the United States' move to reinforce its «extended deterrence» protection of South Korea and Japan, YONHAP reports.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch from the Sunan area in Pyongyang at 10:15 a.m., and that the missile flew around 1,000 kilometers at an apogee of some 6,100 km at a top speed of Mach 22.

The launch is presumed to have involved the Hwasong-17 ICBM, according to an informed defense source who requested anonymity. On Nov. 3, the North test-fired the same ICBM, but the launch was seen as a failure.

The Hwasong-17 is dubbed a «monster» for its sheer size. It is known to carry multiple warheads and have a range of around 15,000 km, long enough to cover the entire U.S. mainland.

«North Korea's ICBM launch this time is a significant provocation and serious act of threat that undermines peace and stability not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in the international community and a clear violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions,» the JCS said in a text message sent to reporters.

It added that the South Korean military will maintain a firm readiness posture capable of responding «overwhelmingly» to any North Korean provocation while tracking and monitoring related North Korean movements in close cooperation with the U.S.

Photo: en.yna.co.kr