North Korea launched an "unidentified missile"

North Korea launched a local "unidentified missile" towards the Japanese Sea on Sunday morning," reported the South Korean army. According to the Japanese authorities, it was probably a ballistic missile.

This was already the eighth missile test conducted by Pyongyang since the beginning of the year.

This trial occurred one month after the DPRK launched the Hwasong-12 ballistic missile.

The mid-range rocket Hwasong-12 was first revealed to the international community during a military parade in Pyongyang on 14 April 2017 on the occasion of Sun Day, which is the anniversary of the birth of North Korea's president-founder Kim Ir Sena.

According to international experts, Hwasong-12 can have a maximum range of 3,700 kilometres at 650 kg to 4,500 km at 500 kg. However, it can also fly up to 6000 km, meaning that the term ICBM, used for intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of beating at least 5500 km.

The North Korean regime intensified weapons testing this year and threatened the US with retaliation for imposing new restrictions on it. Pjongjang claims to have tested hypersonic weapons and suggests that he can also resume nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), halted in 2017.

Source: PAP