At approximately 10:45 a.m. on Friday, the U.S. detected a ballistic missile launch out of North Korea, according to the Pentagon and CNN. The reports were confirmed by Japan and South Korea.
As of right now, the type of missile launched is still unknown, but the Pentagon is working to identify it. The launch comes at a time when U.S. intelligence officials agree that North Korea has been expanding its intercontinental range ballistic missile program. The last missile launch test out of Pyongyang was just earlier this month, on July 4. The most recent launch is the country’s 12th missile test in 2017.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spoke on Japanese television, saying he had "received the first report that North Korea again launched a missile and it possibly landed inside [Japan’s] exclusive economic zone."
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said North Korea’s missile flew for around 45 minutes, according to CNN. Suga added that Japan reported no damages to any of its vessels or aircrafts, even though it did fall within Japan’s borders.
On Wednesday, a U.S. official spoke to CNN and said that the U.S. now estimates that “North Korea will be able to launch a reliable nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by early 2018.” The same official explained that “North Korea can currently get a missile ‘off the ground,’” but “there are still a lot of undetermined variables about guidance, re-entry and the ability to hit a specific target.”
