North Korea recently test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that flew for its longest ever recorded flight time, with a range capable of striking the U.S. mainland, South Korea, and Japan. This marked North Korea’s first ICBM launch since December and may be an attempt to grab U.S. attention ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election. The missile was in the air for 86 minutes and traveled for about 620 miles before crashing into the sea off Japan, but due to its high angle, it could have potentially flown much farther, posing a threat to locations such as Anchorage, Alaska, and Washington, D.C.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un described the launch as appropriate military action in response to enemies. The U.S. and its allies condemned the launch as a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions. North Korea is estimated to have about 50 stored nuclear warheads, but they are not actively deployed on its weapons systems. In comparison, the U.S. and Russia each have about 1,700 deployed nuclear warheads.
With tensions escalating between North Korea and its neighbors, as well as the U.S., the international community closely monitors the situation and the potential implications of North Korea’s missile tests for regional security and global stability.
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