N. Korea's missile fired at half range: S. Korean military: Yonhap

By Yonhap News Posted : August 31, 2017, 10:28 Updated : August 31, 2017, 10:28

[Yonhap Photo]



In its latest ballistic missile launch, North Korea halved the range to around 2,700 kilometers, South Korea's defense ministry said Thursday.

In a report to the National Assembly, the ministry said the Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) was fired at a "normal" angle but at half range.

It means the missile's full range is between 4,500-5,000 km.

The missile, launched at the Sunan airfield in Pyongyang on Tuesday morning overflew the northern territory of Japan and splashed into nearby waters. It traveled more than 2,700 km at a maximum altitude of some 550 km, according to the South's military.

It's the North's 13th ballistic missile fired this year alone. It marked the seventh since the launch of the South's Moon Jae-in administration, which is eager to improve inter-Korean ties.

"There's a possibility of strategic provocations, including additional ballistic missile launches and a sixth nuclear test," the ministry said. "It appears to be intended to show off an improvement in the capability of nuclear warheads and delivery means."

The North remains ready to detonate a nuclear bomb anytime in his Punggye-ri test site, it added.

Yonhap News
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