SEOUL -- North Korea has successfully tested the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), according to a statement released via the country’s central TV.
According to the statement, read out by a news reader on Wednesday, the entire territory of the United States is now within the striking range of North Korean missiles.
The statement said Wednesday’s launch was carried out on personal order of the country’s leader Kim Jong Un in response to Washington’s hostile policies.
A statement from the North Korean government, released by the official KCNA news agency, said the new missile "can carry a heavy nuclear warhead and strike the entire US mainland territory."
"The design and development of North Korea’s strategic weapons <...> are intended to protect the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity from the policies of nuclear blackmail and nuclear threats by the US and ensure the people’s peaceful life," the statement read.
To that aim, the country has created a full-fledged nuclear armed force.
According to the announcement, the ICBM covered the distance of 950 km. and reached the maximum altitude of 4,475 km. (TASS)
