North Korea say it has launched a young intercontinental ballistic missile ( ICBM ) to a record meridian , advise they may before long be able to target most of the continental US .

The rocketwas launchedfrom just northward of the working capital Pyongyang in the early hour of today , November 29 . consort to the Pentagon , the rocket reached a meridian of 4,475 km ( 2,780 miles ) into space . That’s10 timesthe height of the International Space Station ( ISS ) , which orbits at a height of about 410 kilometre ( 255 nautical mile ) .

Of course , this missile was not going into orbit like the ISS . It was a ballistic projectile , meaning it fly up and then back down again . North Korea ’s second - highest test , in July , trip to a height of 3,700 kilometers ( 2,300 miles ) .

news report said it take flight for about 53 bit , before landing 950 kilometers ( 590 stat mi ) Orient in the Sea of Japan . This suggest this was an   ICBM with a kitchen range large enough to reach even Washington DC .

“ After keep an eye on the successful launch of the new character ICBM Hwasong-15 , Kim Jong - un declare with pride that now we have eventually realise the great historical cause of completing the state nuclear military force , the cause of build a projectile power , ” according to a command scan by a television system presenter , reportedReuters .

Had the projectile flown on a standard flight , rather than hold up up into quad , some reports say it could have traveled more than13,000 kilometers(8,000 mi ) . It ’s unreadable at the moment what the next step is for North Korea . But this launching stir the theory that they could place a nuclear load on a projectile and perform a nuclear test over the sea .

“ We can not rule out the possibility that North Korea could announce its completion of a nuclear force within one year , ” South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung - gyontold reportersin Seoul , South Korea .

expert have yet to verify the latest launch , the 20th of the year for North Korea . On old tests , the country ’s re - entry engineering to come back through the atmosphere seemed tohave failed . This latest step , though , is a all-important developing .

“ [ North Korea ] appear to have postulate another minor whole tone forwards as it attempts to ripen its intercontinental ballistic missile technology , ” noted the website38 North .

“ A viable ICBM able of turn over the west coast of the US mainland is still a twelvemonth out , though North Korea continue to progress . ”