The dictator was joined by his daughter for a launch that took place overnight (Picture: STR)
North Korea said it fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) to ‘strike fear into the enemies’.
The test launch comes as South Korea and Japan agreed to work closely on regional security with the US and staged military exercises around the region.
North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test-firing of the Hwasong-17 missile and stressed the need to ‘strike fear into the enemies’ over what it called the ‘open hostility’ shown to the North by the US-South Korea exercises.
Launched at a high angle to avoid the territory of North Korea’s neighbours, the missile reached a maximum altitude of 6,045 kilometres (3,756 miles) and travelled 1,000 kilometres (621 miles).
A photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency shows Kim and his daughter (Picture: EPA)
North Korea said the missile was fired ‘to strike fear into the enemies’ (Picture: AP)
It landed in waters off the country’s eastern coast, KCNA said.
The South Korean and Japanese militaries assessed the flight, indicating the the US mainland is within the missile’s range.
It remains unclear whether North Korea has developed nuclear bombs small enough to fit on its long-range rockets or the technology to ensure its warheads survive atmospheric re-entry when fired at a normal trajectory.
North Korea’s official Rodong Sinmun newspaper published photos of Mr Kim watching from afar as the missile blasted off from a launch vehicle parked on an airport runway.
The missile launched at the Sunan international airport in Pyongyang, North Korea (Picture: AP)
Rumours suggest Kim is lining his daughter up to take over in the future (Picture: Getty Images)
Mr Kim was accompanied by a girl who appeared to be his daughter, believed to be named Kim Ju Ae and about 10-years-old.
She has accompanied him to several military events since she was publicly revealed for the first time during another ICBM launch in November.
Analysts say the intent of her public appearances at military events is to tie the dynastic rule of Mr Kim’s family to the nuclear arsenal Mr Kim sees as the strongest guarantee of his survival.
Already, four missile displays have been made this week (Picture: Getty Images)
A missile is displayed during a parade to mark the 75th founding anniversary of North Korea’s army (Picture: Reuters)
Rodong Sinmun also published photos implied to have been taken by a camera on the missile as it soared into space. They showed a rounded view of the Earth, with clouds scattered over what appeared to be the Korean Peninsula and Asian coastline.
The photos were apparently intended as proof the missile would be capable of accurately striking its target, said Cheong Seong-Chang, a senior analyst at South Korea’s private Sejong Institute.
KCNA said the ICBM launch sends a ‘stronger warning’ to North Korea’s rivals who are escalating tensions with their ‘frantic, provocative and aggressive large-scale war drills’.
Mr …read more
Source:: Metro
