North Korea Says Kim Jong Un Guided Test of 'Monster' New ICBM
North Korea has confirmed its test of a massive new intercontinental ballistic missile, saying leader Kim Jong Un personally guided the launch at the country's main international airport.
State media showed Kim, dressed in a leather jacket, peering out the window of an observation structure as the missile lifted off in a fiery plume Thursday from a runway at the Pyongyang International Airport.
In a report Friday morning, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the test of the Hwasong-17 missile was part of efforts to strengthen North Korea's "nuclear war deterrent."
"The new strategic weapon of the DPRK will clearly show the might of our strategic force to the whole world once again," Kim was quoted as saying, using an abbreviation for Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.
It is North Korea's fourth ICBM test, and its first since 2017, during the height of tensions between Kim and former U.S. President Donald Trump. In 2018, Kim declared a moratorium on long-range tests, but he resumed shorter-range launches in 2019.
