Pyongyang - Saba:
North Korea on Friday announced the successful test-firing of a new Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missile from the Pyongyang region towards the Sea of Japan.
North Korea noted that the Hwasong-19 missile travelled 1,001.2 kilometres at a maximum altitude of 7,687.5 kilometres and flew for 5,156 seconds, assessed as having the longest flight time of a North Korean missile.
It described the new missile as an ‘ultra-powerful offensive means’ and a ‘final version’ of its long-range missile series.
North Korea's Korean Central News Agency said: ‘The test of the latest strategic weapons system updated the recent records of North Korea's strategic missile capability and demonstrated the modernity and reliability of the world's most powerful strategic deterrent.’
The missile test took place yesterday, Thursday, under the direction of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and his daughter, known as Ju-ah, attended the launch.
Yesterday, the South Korean military said it spotted the missile, launched at a high angle, at around 7.10am from the Pyongyang area (1.10am Moscow time).
It added that it flew about 1,000 kilometres before falling into the East Sea, and assessed the missile as a new solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
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