[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The Japanese government analyzed on the 25th that the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launched by North Korea could have a range of over 15,000 km, potentially putting the entire United States within its reach.
According to NHK, Nobuo Kishi, Japan's Defense Minister, stated at a press conference following the Cabinet meeting that the missile launched by North Korea the previous day was of the same type as those launched on February 27 and March 5, and is a new ICBM-class missile first confirmed during North Korea's military parade in October 2020.
Defense Minister Kishi revealed that if North Korea's ICBM had been launched on a normal trajectory, it could have flown over 15,000 km and reached the entire United States, including the East Coast. He criticized, "This is on a different level from previous launches. It is a serious threat to the peace and stability of Japan and the international community," adding, "It violates United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions, is an act of turning its back on the international community, and is an unacceptable outrage."
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno stated that North Korea "could possibly escalate to further provocative acts," and announced plans to work closely with the United States and others to fully commit to vigilance and surveillance.
Japan's Ministry of Defense estimated that North Korea's ICBM fell about 150 km west of the Oshima Peninsula in southwestern Hokkaido. The impact location is within the waters defined by the Japanese government as its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The Ministry analyzed that the missile's maximum altitude exceeded 6,000 km, with a flight distance of approximately 1,100 km and a flight time of about 71 minutes.
Meanwhile, on the same day, the Korean Central News Agency reported that the missile launched the previous day was the new ICBM Hwasong-17, which rose to a maximum apogee of 6,248.5 km, flew a distance of 1,090 km for 4,052 seconds (67 minutes), and accurately landed in the designated area over the open waters of the East Sea. Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, who observed the launch, emphasized that North Korea will thoroughly prepare for a long-term confrontation with the United States and continue to strengthen its nuclear war deterrence.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
