north korea He said they tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile on Thursday morning; This missile is believed to have achieved the longest flight time ever for a North Korean missile.

The new “perfect” Hwasong-19 missile was launched on Tuesday, just days before the US presidential election and following warnings from South Korea’s intelligence agency that Pyongyang planned to launch an ICBM to test re-entry technology during the vote.

The test also comes at a time when North Korea is intensifying its nuclear production efforts and strengthening ties with Russia, deepening widespread concerns in the West about the isolated country’s outlook.

North Korea said Friday that its new Hwasong-19 missile reached a maximum altitude of 7,688 kilometers (4,777 miles) and flew a distance of 1,001 kilometers (622 miles).

“The test of the latest strategic weapons system… demonstrated the modernity and reliability of the world’s most powerful strategic deterrent,” the country’s state-run KCNA news outlet said in a commentary.

Japanese officials said the missile flew for about 86 minutes and to a possible altitude of 7,000 kilometers (4,350 miles), then crashed into the sea west of Okushiri Island in northern Hokkaido around 8:37 a.m., public broadcaster NHK reported. in question.

“The flight duration was the longest ever. Probably the newest missile ever,” said Japanese Defense Minister General Nakatani.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the missile was fired “at a high angle,” meaning it flew almost vertically upwards rather than outwards, and traveled a distance of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles).

JCS spokesman Lee Sung-joon said it could be a “new type of solid-fuel long-range ballistic missile” fired from the 12-axis mobile launcher (TEL) that Pyongyang announced last month.

Solid-fuel missiles such as North Korea’s Hwasong-18 would allow Pyongyang to launch long-range nuclear attacks more quickly than missiles that use liquid fuel technology.

Experts say solid-fuel ICBMs are more stable and can be moved more easily to avoid detection before a launch that can be launched within minutes; Liquid-fueled missiles can take hours before being launched, giving enemies time. Detect and neutralize the weapon.

State media published photos of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter at the launch site and numerous photos of the missile throughout its journey.

Joseph Dempsey, a research analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said photos released by North Korea showed the latest missile was “outwardly similar in design to the Hwasong-18.”

“But when it comes to land-mobile, cold-launch solid ICBMs, there is a form that follows the function component, so (we) wouldn’t expect too many changes in terms of broad design,” he told CNN.

This was apparently North Korea’s first ICBM launch. Hwasong-18 It conducted a missile test in December 2023. He also launched the gun in April and July last year.

During the test in December, Japanese officials reported that the missile flew in a very high orbit for about 73 minutes and as high as 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles).

The missile from Thursday’s test flew higher than North Korea’s previous ICBM test, according to the South Korean military’s preliminary analysis.

While the missile had the range to hit anywhere in the United States, it would have to be fired from a flatter trajectory to hit the country.

The White House on Thursday condemned the test as “a clear violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions.” National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said the launch “unnecessarily increased tensions” in the region and that the United States would “take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the American homeland, the Republic of Korea, and our Japanese allies.”

In response to the missile test, South Korea and the United States held a large-scale joint air exercise involving about 110 jets simulating a “precision strike of the enemy’s TEL,” Seoul’s Defense Ministry said.

“Our military will always maintain its preparedness and ability to respond overwhelmingly to any provocation by North Korea,” the ministry said.

Nuclear weapons technology and ties with Russia

Speaking at the launch site, Kim confirmed that his country “will never change its line of supporting its nuclear forces,” KCNA reported on Thursday.

Along with the ICBM test, South Korea’s military intelligence agency also warned that North Korea may soon conduct its seventh nuclear test.

On Wednesday, the agency said that Pyongyang has completed preparations for such a test at the Punggye-ri test site and that the test could take place during the US elections, according to two lawmakers briefing the regular parliamentary meeting.

Since North Korea conducted its first nuclear test more than a decade ago, it has improved its weapons capabilities with the goal of shrinking the warhead to fit on a long-range missile.

The launch came after U.S. and South Korean officials said thousands of North Korean soldiers were training in Russia in anticipation of a potential push into Russia’s front lines. Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

Approximately 10,000 North Korean soldiers They are undergoing military training in eastern Russia, the Pentagon estimated Monday. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Wednesday that some troops had approached Ukraine, were given Russian military uniforms and were using Russian equipment.

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun said that North Korea is likely to ask Moscow for advanced technology related to nuclear weapons in exchange for sending troops to help Russia.

The minister said Pyongyang will likely request technology transfer from Russia regarding tactical nuclear weapons, the development of North Korean intercontinental ballistic missiles, reconnaissance satellites and nuclear submarines.

CNN’s Brad Lendon and Natasha Bertrand contributed reporting.

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