North Korea Fires Ballistic Missile With Potential to Hit Anywhere in the US: Japan

A TV screen shows a file image of North Korea's missile launch during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, on Dec. 18, 2023. Ahn Young-joon/AP Photo

SEOUL/TOKYO—North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile on Monday that has a range to hit anywhere in the United States, said South Korea and Japan, marking its second launch in hours as Pyongyang condemned a U.S.-led show of force as “war” moves.

The missile has a potential to travel more than 15,000 kilometers (9,300 miles), meaning it can reach anywhere in Japan and the mainland United States, Japan’s Parliamentary Vice Minister of Defense Shingo Miyake said.