Kim Jong-un conducts North Korea’s most powerful missile blast in five years

Japan said the launch by the secretive state led by Kim Jong-un was a threat to the international community. The intermediate-range missile hit an altitude of 1,200 miles before landing in the Sea of Japan. It was similar to the Hwasong-12 weapon tested in 2017.

Moon Jae-in, president of South Korea, said the test showed the North is closer to abandoning a self-imposed moratorium on long-range missiles.

He said a recent flurry of firings was similar to 2017 when North Korea ran nuclear tests and fired missiles over Japan.

Hirokazu Matsuno, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, said that yesterday’s missile flew 500 miles in 30 minutes.

He added: “This series of launches violate UN resolutions and we strongly protest this action by North Korea.”