North Korea conducts longest-ever intercontinental ballistic missile flight

North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which remained airborne for 86 minutes—marking its longest recorded flight to date—before impacting waters east of the Korean peninsula, according to statements from South Korea and Japan. The ICBM was launched at a steep trajectory, achieving an apogee of 7,000km (4,350 miles). This indicates that a flatter launch angle would have resulted in a greater horizontal range. The launch on Thursday contravened United Nations restrictions and occurred amidst worsening diplomatic ties between North and South Korea, alongside Pyongyang’s escalating confrontational language directed at Seoul. South Korea had previously issued a warning on Wednesday, suggesting that the North was poised to test an ICBM around the time of the US presidential election on 5 November. Seoul’s defense ministry stated that the purpose of the test was to advance weaponry capable of firing “farther and higher.” In an unusual same-day report via state media, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared that the launch demonstrated “our will to respond to our enemies” and characterized it as “appropriate military action.” Kim further asserted, “I affirm that [North Korea] will never change its line of bolstering up its nuclear forces.” The United States labeled Thursday’s launch a “flagrant violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions.” Sean Savett, spokesman for the White House’s National Security Council, stated that it “only demonstrates that [North Korea] continues to prioritise its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes over the well-being of its people.” South Korea announced its intention to implement new sanctions against the North following the launch. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also denounced the launch, which his spokesperson indicated were “clear violations of relevant Security Council resolutions.” Previously, neighboring China expressed that it was “concerned.” Pyongyang’s most recent ICBM launch prior to this occurred in December 2023, disregarding enduring and severe UN sanctions. That particular missile flew for 73 minutes and covered approximately 1,000km. Specialists on North Korea suggest that the objective of that launch was to enhance the payload capacity of its missiles. Kim Dong-yup, an assistant professor at the University of North Korean Studies, noted that Pyongyang is working on missiles capable of reaching “the US mainland even if it carries a larger and heavier warhead” or even multiple warheads. Japan, a neighboring nation, confirmed it had monitored the launch on Thursday. Following the event, South Korean and US officials convened and concurred on implementing “strong and varied response measures,” as stated by the South’s military. The statement further added, “Our military maintains full readiness as we closely share North Korean ballistic information with US and Japanese authorities.” The launch on Thursday follows accusations by South Korea and the US that North Korea has dispatched military personnel to Russia to aid Vladimir Putin’s conflict in Ukraine. The Pentagon estimates that approximately 10,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed for training in eastern Russia. The US reported earlier this week that a “small number” have been sent to Kursk in western Russia, with several thousand additional troops en route. The purported deployment of North Korean forces in Russia has intensified concerns regarding the strengthening relationship between Putin and Kim. Neither Pyongyang nor Moscow has confirmed or denied these claims. Reporting for this article was also contributed by Hosu Lee and Jake Kwon from Seoul.