TOKYO -- The Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile launched by North Korea on Thursday surprised many with the leap it represents in Pyongyang's missile capabilities, prompting Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi to call it a "threat of a different magnitude."
Satellite images from the launch area and data comparing this test to previous North Korean ICBM launches illustrate the steady progress made by Pyongyang's missile development program in recent years.
