Launching Long-Range Missiles Monday, North Korea Records the Most ICBM Launches in a Year

Illustration, the test launch of North Korea's Hwasong-17 ICBM. (Source: KCNA)

JAKARTA - North Korea launched another long-range missile on Monday, after launching a missile on Sunday night, making the country record the most launches in a year.

North Korea fired a long-range missile into the East Sea on Monday, the South Korean military said, in what was thought to be its fifth launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) this year.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that it detected the missile fired from the Pyongyang area at 08:24 local time at a high angle and flew about 1,000 kilometers before landing in the East Sea, as reported by The Korea Times, December 18.

It is not yet known how high the missile went and whether it used solid fuel, but an in-depth analysis is currently underway, JCS said.

"While increasing our alert readiness, our military maintains a posture of full readiness by sharing data on North Korean ballistic missiles closely with the United States and Japan," JCS said in a statement to reporters.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Ministry of Defense reported that the missile flew for 73 minutes, whereas at the launch in July, it flew for 74 minutes. The missile reached a maximum altitude of more than 6,000 km (3,728 miles) and fell into the sea west of Hokkaido outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.

The ICBM missile has the potential to travel a distance of more than 15,000 km (9,300 miles), meaning it can reach anywhere in Japan and the mainland United States, said Japanese Parliamentary Deputy Defense Minister Shingo Miyake, quoted by Reuters.

This launch marks North Korea's fifth intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch this year, which is the highest number of ICBM launches in one year.

North Korea fired Hwasong-15 and Hwasong-17 ICBMs in February and March, respectively. They tested the Hawsong-18 solid fuel in April and carried out a second test in July.

JCS called the latest launch a “clear” violation of a UN Security Council resolution banning North Korea from using ballistic missile technology, pledging to maintain readiness to respond “excessively” to any provocation.

It is known that Monday's launch occurred several hours after North Korea fired a short-range missile from Pyongyang on Sunday at 22:38 p.m. local time. The missile flew about 570 kilometers before falling into the East Sea, according to JCS.