N. KOREA LAUNCHES ICBM

[Anchor Lead]

In spite of the repeated warnings and mounting concerns, North Korea went ahead and launched an intercontinental ballistic missile, the first one in four years and four months. This effectively means the regime broke its own moratorium on ICBM launches and portends seismic changes in the Northeast Asian political situation.

[Pkg]

North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile was detected at 2:34 p.m. yesterday afternoon. The latest ICBM was estimated to have been launched from a mobile launch pad in Pyongyang’s Sunan area, where two ICBMs were test-fired recently. The Japanese government reported that the missile reached the maximum altitude of more than 6,200 kilometers and flew for more than 1,080 kilometers before falling within its exclusive economic zone. A South Korean military official said that the missile was launched in a steeper trajectory than usual to shorten the flight distance and flew for more than 70 minutes. The latest ICBM launch was the first one since the Hwasong-15 was launched in November of 2017, a first in over four years. At the time, the North Korean missile flew at a high trajectory to reach some 4,400 kilometers in maximum altitude and traveled 950 kilometers in about 50 minutes. The latest missile flew higher and further than before. The South Korean military responded promptly. South Korea launched missiles from land, sea and air toward the East Sea at 4:25 p.m., about an hour and 50 minutes after the North Korean missile was detected. Simulating a strike on North Korea’s launch location, the South Korean military fired one short-range Hyunmoo-2 surface-to-surface missile and an Army Tactical Missile System better known as ATACMS. South Korea also fired the ship-to-surface Haeseong 2 missile and an air-to-surface joint direct attack munition. Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Won In-choul said that he is teleconferencing with Commander Paul LaCamera of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command about the situation and was assured of toughened combined defense posture. South Korean authorities denounced North Korea’s ICBM launch and boosted surveillance and vigilance against additional launches.