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North Korea Fires Another Test Missile, and This One Could Hit U.S. Cities

Japanese coast guard said the banned ballistic missile landed within Japan’s exclusive economic zone near the coast of Aomori, in northern Japan.

North Korea fired a long-range missile Thursday morning that could be capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. Japan said the test of the suspected intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) had crossed a “red line” after its coast guard confirmed the weapon landed in waters controlled by Japan as part of its exclusive economic zone. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Kim Jong Un “broke the moratorium on the ICBM that he promised to the international community, causing a serious threat to the Korean Peninsula, the surrounding region and the international community.” Today’s action is believed to be the 11th test this year, as Pyongyang seeks to develop its Hwasong-17 mobile ICBM system and would be the first ICBM launched since 2017. The U.S. Defense Department has said it believed tests conducted on Feb. 26 and March 4 were to test the new system. A test on March 16 appeared to fail. Last week, U.S. Forces Korea said in a press release that it had conducted exercises in the region, including “emplacing the Patriot missile system, and executing air and missile defense operations under a simulated combat scenario.”