Japanese Defense Minister: “North Korean ICBM reached a maximum altitude of over 7,000 km, likely the highest ever” (Report)

Nakatani Gen, Japan’s Defense Minister, reported that the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launched by North Korea on the morning of the 31st reached the highest altitude ever recorded, exceeding 7,000 km, and had an estimated flight distance of 1,000 km. According to Fuji News Network (FNN), the missile was launched around 7:11 AM in a northeast direction and flew for 1 hour and 26 minutes before landing approximately 200 km west of Okushiri Island, Hokkaido, at around 8:37 AM. Nakatani stated that this missile recorded the longest flight time for a North Korean missile so far, and its altitude was also the highest to date. He added that analyses are ongoing to determine whether it was a new type of ballistic missile. According to the Japanese government, the missile flew for 1 hour and 26 minutes, making it the longest flight time for a North Korean missile. The previous record was held by an ICBM launched towards the East Sea on July 12 of last year, which flew for 74 minutes.