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| Possible range of Hwasong-14 Ballistic Missile (Click Image to Enlarge) |
By Jung Ha-Won
North Korea declared Tuesday that the country had finally achieved its dream of building an intercontinental ballistic missile, saying it would "fundamentally put an end to the US nuclear war threat and blackmail".
The Hwasong-14 ICBM reached an altitude of about 2,802 kilometres (1,741 miles) and flew 933 kilometres for 39 minutes before hitting a target area on the sea off the east coast, the North said.
Washington, Japan and South Korea gave similar figures, and US experts said the trajectory implied the device could reach Alaska.
Pyongyang is subject to multiple sets of United Nations sanctions over its atomic and missile programmes, which it says it needs to protect itself against a possible invasion.
It regularly issues bloodcurdling threats against its "imperialist enemy" Washington, and has long sought a rocket capable of delivering a warhead to the continental United States.
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| Hwasong-14 Ballistic Missile |
The progress has accelerated especially after young leader Kim Jong-Un took power following the death of his father, longtime ruler Kim Jong-Il, in 2011.
The latest launch potentially forces a recalculation of the threat it poses.
Here are five key questions on the issue.
Read the full story at SpaceDaily