The DPRK on Monday confirmed the test-firing of a medium- to long-range ballistic missile a day earlier that it said could carry a large nuclear warhead.
The missile was launched at 4:58 a.m. local time, reaching a maximum altitude of 2,111.5 kilometers and flying 787 kilometers, according to an announcement on DPRK state media KCNA
“The test-fire was conducted at the highest angle in consideration of the security of neighboring countries,” said the KCNA report, adding “the test-fire aimed at verifying the tactical and technological specifications of the newly-developed ballistic rocket capable of carrying a large-size heavy nuclear warhead.”
DPRK leader Kim Jong Un was reported to describe the launch as “of great and special significance for securing peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and the region.”
The test was first reported by South Korea’s military on Sunday morning and later confirmed by the US Pacific Command the same day.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in sharply criticized the launch and called it a “grave act of provocation,” while US President Donald Trump has called for stronger sanctions on the DPRK.
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