North Korea has tested a missile capable of reaching US bases in the Pacific Ocean
North Korea has conducted an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) test from its east coast, demonstrating its commitment to developing missile technology capable of reaching US military bases in the Western Pacific Ocean.
The missile, launched from an area near the capital Pyongyang on Tuesday, did not pass over Japan like some of the IRBM missiles that North Korea has fired, but instead landed in the waters between the two countries after traveling 372 miles.
Colonel Lee Sung Joon, an official spokesman for South Korea's Armed Forces Command, said the missile test was likely a follow-up to North Korea's test in March, which involved a solid-fuel engine designed for an advanced hypersonic medium-range missile.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida informed reporters that there have been no reports of damage caused by the missile.
He claimed that North Korea's repeated missile launches threaten the peace, security and stability of Japan, as well as regional and international security.
According to experts, if these weapons are successfully developed, they can reach Guam, the US military base in the Pacific, and even further.
Military experts say that in the event of a conflict with North Korea, US military bases in Japan and Guam are strategically placed to serve as strongholds for US forces. Targeting these facilities is a key element of North Korea's war strategy.
