SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea fired a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile Friday, Seoul's military said, which Japan said may have had the range to hit the United States mainland.
The missile was believed to have landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said as he blasted the launch as "absolutely unacceptable."
The launch is Pyongyang's second in two days, and is part of a record -breaking blitz in recent weeks.
Confirming the launch, Tokyo said that based on its calculations, the missile may have had the range to hit the US mainland.
North Korea claims the recent wave of launches is a response to Washington's moves to bolster its protection of regional security allies, South Korea and Japan.
Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it had "detected a long-range ballistic missile around 10:15 fired from the Sunan area in Pyongyang towards the East Sea," referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan.
The missile flew 1,000 kilometers at an altitude of 6,100 kilometers and speeds of Mach 22, the South Korean military said, calling it a "serious provocation."
"Based on calculations taking the trajectory into account, the ballistic missile this time around could have had a range capability of 15,000 kilometers, depending on the weight of its warhead, and if that's the case, it means the US mainland was within its range," Tokyo's Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said.
