North Korea confirmed Monday that the weapon launched a day earlier was its most powerful missile tested since late 2017, state-run media reported, in a move that could mark an end to nearly four years of leader Kim Jong Un’s self-imposed moratorium on longer-range tests.
Analysts said the missile in question was an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) after Japan and South Korea reported the launch Sunday. It was the nuclear-armed country’s seventh round of weapons tests this month.
Both Tokyo and Seoul said the missile had reached an altitude of about 2,000 kilometers (1,245 miles) and flew roughly 800 km on a “lofted” trajectory, meaning it had been launched at an angle to hit a high altitude while limiting its flight distance.