North Korea on Saturday fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that landed in waters within Japan’s exclusive economic zone, according to Japanese and South Korean officials, after Pyongyang warned that upcoming U.S.-South Korea military drills would lead to a strong response.
Japan government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters on Feb. 18 that North Korea “fired one ICBM-class ballistic missile” which flew for some 66 minutes before landing in Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
Yasukazu Hamada, Japan’s defence minister, said the missile’s range was 8,700 miles and so would have had the capacity to strike the United States.
The South Korean military said in a statement that intelligence sources are closely analyzing the detailed specifications of the missile and its flight….