Japan’s defense minister says that North Korea has launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that has a range far enough to reach the US mainland.
The missile landed in the sea about 210 kilometers (130 miles) west of Hokkaido.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yul has emphasized strict deterrence measures against North Korea.
On Thursday, North Korean FM Choe Soon-hui warned that any increased US military presence would be met with a “stern” response.
It also launched a short-range ballistic missile on the same day.
This was followed on Sunday by a meeting between Mr Yun, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Cambodia. Mr Biden later said the three allies were “more aligned than ever” on North Korea’s “provocative behaviour”.
North Korea has fired more than 50 missiles over the past two months, most of them short-range. These long-range launches are rare, and pose a direct threat to the US, as the missiles are designed to carry nuclear warheads anywhere on US soil.
Military chiefs in Seoul said the latest suspected ICBM was fired from near the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, at 10:15 local time (02:15 GMT).
It reached an altitude of 6,100 km at a high speed and traveled 1,000 km (621 mi), reaching speeds of Mach 22, the South Korean military said.
High speed means that the missile flies very high in space but travels a shorter distance than if it were fired at normal speed.
But Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said the missile had enough range to reach the United States.
“Based on calculations taking into account the trajectory, this time the ballistic missile was capable of hitting 15,000 kilometers depending on the weight of its warhead, and if so, that means the US mainland was within range. , “They said.
“We have told (Pyongyang) that we absolutely cannot tolerate such actions,” Mr. Kishida told reporters in Thailand.
North Korea’s pattern in recent months has been to launch missiles in response to US military activity around the Korean Peninsula.
It is developing a new type of long-range missile, the Hwasong-17, which is larger than the ICBMs it has successfully tested in the past.
Experts believe that several attempts to launch the Hwasong-17 have failed, and the North has yet to successfully fly it.
