North Korea tests long-range missile, biggest since 2017

Seoul, January 30

North Korea on Sunday fired its most powerful missile since President Joe Biden took office, as it revives its old playbook in brinkmanship to wrest concessions from Washington and neighbours amid a prolonged stalemate in diplomacy.

The Japanese and South Korean militaries said the missile was launched on a lofted trajectory, apparently to avoid the territorial spaces of neighbours, and reached a maximum altitude of 2,000 km and travelled 800 km before landing in the sea.

The flight details suggest the North tested its longest-range ballistic missile since 2017, when it twice flew intermediate-range ballistic missiles over Japan and, separately, three intercontinental ballistic missiles that demonstrated the potential to reach deep into the American homeland.

Sunday’s test was North Korea’s 7th round of launches this month. The unusually fast pace of tests indicates its intent to pressure the Biden administration over long-stalled nuclear negotiations as pandemic-related difficulties put further stress on an economy broken by decades of mismanagement and crippling US-led sanctions over its nuclear weapons programme. — AP

Reaches altitude of 2,000 km

• The missile was launched along a lofted trajectory, apparently to avoid the territorial spaces of neighbours
• It attained the maximum altitude of 2,000 km and travelled 800 km before landing into the sea