Japan: "North Korea's ICBM-class missile has the longest flight time... Range over 15,000 km"

The Japanese government analyzed that the flight time of the ballistic missile launched by North Korea into the East Sea was 86 minutes, the longest ever, and the maximum altitude exceeded about 7,000 km, also the highest on record.

On the 31st, citizens at Seoul Station's waiting room are watching news related to North Korea's missile launch, where North Korea fired one ballistic missile presumed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the East Sea. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

On the 31st, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Chief Cabinet Secretary and spokesperson for the Japanese government, stated in a briefing, "The ballistic missile launched by North Korea around 7:11 a.m. near Pyongyang toward the northeast flew for about 86 minutes and fell about 200 km west of Okushiri Island, Hokkaido, outside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) at 8:37 a.m."

He added, "The flight distance is about 1,000 km, and the maximum altitude is estimated to exceed about 7,000 km," and said, "It is considered to be at the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) level." He noted that the flight time is the longest among missiles North Korea has fired so far, and the maximum altitude is also the highest.

At a press conference in the afternoon, Secretary Hayashi said, "Considering the flight distance and altitude, the range could exceed 15,000 km depending on the warhead weight and other factors." If the range exceeds 15,000 km, it could strike the entire U.S. mainland.

He described this launch as "an outrageous act that heightens tensions in the international community," and said, "North Korea's repeated ballistic missile launches and other actions threaten the peace and security of the regional and international community and are unacceptable."

He continued, "We have lodged a stern protest with North Korea through the embassy channel in Beijing," and added, "We will spare no effort in intelligence gathering and analysis, as well as vigilance and surveillance, while closely cooperating with the United States, South Korea, and the international community."

Regarding whether the ballistic missile is a new type, Secretary Hayashi only responded, "It is under analysis."