North Korea Says Tests First ICBM, Experts Say Alaska Within Range

North Korea Says Tests First ICBM, Experts Say Alaska Within Range
The intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 is seen during its test launch. The launch came days before leaders from the Group of 20 nations were due to discuss steps to rein in North Korea's weapons programme, which it has pursued in defiance of U.N. Security Council sanctions. (KCNA/via REUTERS)
Reuters
7/4/2017
Updated:
7/4/2017

WASHINGTON/SEOUL—North Korea said on Tuesday it successfully test-launched a first intercontinental ballistic missile, (ICBM), which analysts said could put all of the U.S. state of Alaska in range for the first time.

U.S. networks Fox News and NBC said U.S. officials had told them they believed Tuesday’s test was of an ICBM, marking a worrying milestone in Pyongyang’s missile development. CNN quoted officials as saying it was probably a two-stage ICBM.

The United States requested a closed-door meeting of the 15-member U.N. Security Council on the launch, a session likely to be scheduled for Wednesday, a spokesman for the U.S. mission to the United Nations said on Tuesday.

The launch, on the eve of U.S. Independence Day, took place days before leaders from the Group of 20 nations were due to discuss steps to rein in North Korea’s weapons program, which it has pursued in defiance of Security Council sanctions.

North Korea’s state media said the launch was ordered and supervised by leader Kim Jong Un and sent the Hwasong-580 miles, reaching an altitude of 1,741 miles over a flight time of 39 minutes.

North Korea has said it is working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of striking the U.S. mainland, something U.S. President Donald Trump vowed in January would never happen.

Some analysts said the flight details suggested the new missile had a range of more than 4,970 miles, which would put significant parts of the U.S. mainland in range, representing major advances in its program.

David Wright, co-director of the Global Security Program at the U.S.-based Union of Concerned Scientists, said the flight time and distance suggested the missile could travel about 4,163 miles, bringing all of Alaska into range.

The intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 is seen in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang on July, 4 2017. (KCNA/via REUTERS)
The intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 is seen in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang on July, 4 2017. (KCNA/via REUTERS)

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the missile was believed to be an intermediate-range type, but the military was looking into the possibility it was an ICBM.

The Pentagon and State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the TV network reports but said the U.S. government was working on a more detailed assessment of the launch. On Monday night, the Pentagon described the missile as an intermediate-range type that traveled for 37 minutes.

U.S.-based missile expert John Schilling, a contributor to the Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, 38 North, said the launch was both earlier and “far more successful than expected.”

He said it would now probably only be a year or two before a North Korean ICBM achieved “minimal operational capability” and it was likely the initial test did not perform as well as an operational missile would.

“Still, this missile demonstrated a degree of performance that is beyond what is needed to reach Anchorage - or Pearl Harbor - but not quite sufficient to reliably reach targets on the U.S. West Coast,” he said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un looks on during the test-fire of inter-continental ballistic missile Hwasong-14. (KCNA/via REUTERS)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un looks on during the test-fire of inter-continental ballistic missile Hwasong-14. (KCNA/via REUTERS)

Under China’s plan, North Korea would suspend its ballistic missile program in return for a moratorium on large-scale military exercises by the United States and South Korea, which Washington and Seoul say are essential to maintain defense readiness.

Trump is due to meet both Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G20 in Germany this week.

Japan said on Monday it would have a trilateral summit with the United States and South Korea on North Korea at the G20. Its prime minister, Shinzo Abe, said he would ask the leaders of China and Russia to play more constructive roles.

North Korea was a major topic in phone calls between Trump and the leaders of China and Japan this week.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang called on Tuesday for calm and restraint, and reiterated China’s opposition to North Korea’s violation of U.N. resolutions on missile tests.

Responding to Trump’s tweet, Geng said China had been working hard to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.

“China’s role is indispensable,” he told a daily news briefing. “We hope all sides can meet each other halfway.”

North Korea has conducted five nuclear tests, two since the beginning of last year, and the pace of missile tests has risen significantly. It says it needs to defend itself against U.S. aggression.

Analysts say it often conducts tests to show its defiance and to raise the stakes when it sees regional powers getting ready for talks or sanctions.

By David Brunnstrom and Christine Kim