The missile launched by North Korea Tuesday was most likely a Hwasong-12 intercontinental ballistic missile, Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said during a press conference in the wake of the National Security Council emergency meeting. The Minister noted that the missile travelled for 4,600 km, which is the maximum distance in the entire history of Pyongyang’s tests, TASS reports.
"We presume that the launched missile was of the Hwasong-12 type. According to our estimations, this missile’s parameters exceed the specifications of intermediate-range missiles," he noted. "The presumed travel distance of the ballistic missile - about 4,600 km - is being considered the largest in history [of North Korean tests - TASS]. The missile fell about 3,200 km away [from Japanese coast]," the Minister added.
On Tuesday, North Korea launched a missile that flew above northern Japan and fell in the Pacific Ocean outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
This is the 23rd North Korean missile test since the beginning of this year. Last time, Pyongyang launched a missile that travelled above Japan in September 2017.
According to the South Korean military, the missile reached the maximum speed of March 17, with maximum altitude of 970 kilometers, Yonhap reported.
Former Japanese navy commander Yoji Koda said in an interview for NHK that North Korean missiles of this type can reach the US island territory of Guam.
