North Korea fires its first ICBM in 3 months after making threat over alleged US spy flights

By HYUNG-JIN KIM and MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea has test-fired its first intercontinental ballistic missile in three months after it threatened “shocking” consequences to protest alleged spying by United States military flights. Some experts say the launch Wednesday was likely the second test-flight of the developmental Hwasong-18 solid-fuel missile, which North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called the most powerful weapon of his nuclear forces. South Korea and Japan assessed that the missile flew about 620 miles on a steep angle before landing between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. It came as South Korea’s and Japan’s leaders were attending the NATO summit. Some experts say the launch was meant to hone the missile technology and not directly a protest of any U.S. or South Korean action.