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| Hwasong-12 ballistic missile |
SEOUL, Aug. 31 (Yonhap) -- In its latest ballistic missile launch, North Korea halved the range to around 2,700 kilometers, South Korea's defense ministry said Thursday.
In a report to the National Assembly, the ministry said the Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) was fired at a "normal" angle but at half range.
It means the missile's full range is between 4,500-5,000 km.
The missile, launched at the Sunan airfield in Pyongyang on Tuesday morning overflew the northern territory of Japan and splashed into nearby waters. It traveled more than 2,700 km at a maximum altitude of some 550 km, according to the South's military.
It's the North's 13th ballistic missile fired this year alone. It marked the seventh since the launch of the South's Moon Jae-in administration, which is eager to improve inter-Korean ties.
Vice Defense Minister Suh Choo-suk pointed out it's premature to conclude whether the missile succeeded in atmospheric re-entry, a crucial technology for a combat-capable ballistic missile.
Read the full story at YonhapNews
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