North Korea launches most powerful missile test since 2017

North Korea confirmed it fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. territory of Guam on Sunday. South Korean and Japanese assessments confirmed the Hwasong-12 missile flew about 497 miles and gained a maximum altitude of 1,242 miles before descending between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. North Korea said it launched the missile at a high angle to prevent it from flying over other countries. Sunday’s test marks the country’s seventh missile launch this month.

How has the United State responded? The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the launch does not pose any immediate threat to U.S. territory or its allies. The U.S. on Sunday urged North Korea to join direct nuclear talks with no preconditions. Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said Sunday’s launch was the longest-range that North Korea has tested since its Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile in November 2017.

Dig deeper: Listen to Joshua Schumacher’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast about North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.