North Korea fires ICBM missile in longest flight yet, Tokyo says

Appears to be new type of projectile, says Japan defense minister

North Korea released this photo in September of Kim Jong Un beside a launcher with 12 wheels on one side, more than previous versions. (Korean Central News Agency via Kyodo)

SHINNOSUKE NAGATOMI and JUNNOSUKE KOBARA, Nikkei staff writers

October 31, 2024 10:20 JST

Updated on October 31, 2024 12:54 JST

TOKYO/SEOUL -- North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile on Thursday that had a flight time of 1 hour and 26 minutes, the longest on record, Japan's Defense Ministry said.

At least one missile was launched from the interior of North Korea at 7:11 a.m. and fell into waters outside Japan's exclusive economic zone 200 kilometers west of Hokkaido's Okushiri Island at around 8:37 a.m., Defense Minister Gen Nakatani told reporters.