North Korea reportedly fired what has been described as its most advanced long-range missile just days after South Korean and US defence officials met to update plans on how to respond to a nuclear attack from the North.
The launch of the solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile – which evidently landed west of Hokkaido in Japan – was reported by South Korean and Japanese authorities.
They said the missile travelled for 73 minutes, covering about 1,000km. According to the BBC, Monday’s launch is North Korea’s fifth successful launch of an ICBM this year.
Tensions between the North and the South flared last month when Pyongyang successfully launched a spy satellite into orbit, in violation of United Nations sanctions.
Seoul responded by partially suspending a military agreement with the North that was meant to limit military activity along the border and reduce the likelihood of clashes.
According to the BBC, as North Korea continues to refine and add to its arsenal of nuclear weapons, South Korea and the United States are stepping up their defence of the region.
In a meeting in Washington on Friday, officials updated their contingency plans for how to respond to a North Korean nuclear attack. The two countries also agreed to war-game the use of nuclear weapons in their military exercises next summer.
[Image: A North Korean rocket tested in 2022 https://www.flickr.com/photos/195298409@N06/51959648204]