SEOUL (AFP) – North Korea said yesterday it had test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile as a warning to Washington and Seoul, saying the successful “surprise” drill demonstrated Pyongyang’s capacity to launch a “fatal nuclear counterattack”.
In response, the United States (US) and South Korea staged joint air drills featuring a strategic bomber and stealth fighter jets, Seoul said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered the “sudden launching drill” at 8am on Saturday and a Hwasong-15 missile was fired from Pyongyang airport that afternoon, the official KCNA reported.
South Korea’s military said it detected an ICBM launch at 17:22 (0822 GMT) Saturday, which Japan said flew for 66 minutes before splashing down in its Exclusive Economic Zone, with their analysis indicating it was capable of hitting the mainland US.
