The missile, dubbed Hwasong-19, reportedly reached an altitude of 7,688 kilometers, traveling approximately 1,000 kilometers for about 86 minutes before landing in its targeted area in the East Sea, according to Pyongyang's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
"The test of the latest strategic weapon system updated the recent records of the strategic missile capability of [North Korea] and demonstrated the modernity and creditability of its world's most powerful strategic deterrent," the KCNA said. The country also claimed that its position as a nuclear weapons state is "absolutely irreversible."
The latest ICBM is believed to be solid-fueled, which makes it easier to maneuver than liquid-propelled missiles. Its rounded warhead design also suggests that North Korea may intend to carry multiple warheads on the missile.
In Washington, South Korean and U.S. defense and foreign chiefs gathered for a 2+2 ministerial meeting to discuss various security issues including the North's latest missile launch and its troop deployment to Russia.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul also met separately with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken following the 2+2 discussions that included South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin.
The two voiced concerns about the deepening military ties between Russia and North Korea and affirmed their commitment to the bilateral alliance, emphasizing that it "continues to be the linchpin of peace, security, and prosperity for the Indo-Pacific region and beyond."
During a trilateral phone call later in the day, defense chiefs of South Korea, U.S. Japan condemned the North's ICBM launch and agreed to "continue to work closely towards the goal of complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."
The launch is "in flagrant violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. We strongly urge [North Korea] to immediately cease its series of provocative and destabilizing actions that threaten peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and beyond," they said in a joint statement.
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