North Korea test-fires intercontinental ballistic missile

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile this morning. The Korean Central News Agency reported that the country’s top leader, Kim Jong Un, oversaw the event and stressed that there won’t be any change in its policy of developing nuclear forces. A spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defence confirmed the test. The United States, South Korea, and Japan also identified the weapon as an ICBM and condemned the launch for raising tensions. Japanese Defence Minister Gen. Nakatani said that the missile’s flight duration of 86 minutes and its maximum altitude of more than 7,000 kilometres exceeded corresponding data from previous North Korean missile tests.