North Korea fires suspected intermediate-range missile weeks after engine test



News North Korea fires suspected intermediate-range missile weeks after engine test Latest ballistic missile launch follows uptick in Kim Jong Un guiding weapons tests and military drills in last month Arius Derr \| Colin Zwirko April 2, 2024 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON A January launch of a solid-fuel'hypersonic' IRBM from east Pyongyang \| Image: Rodong Sinmun (Jan. 15, 2024) North Korea fired a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) toward the East Sea (Sea of Japan) early Tuesday morning, according to the South Korean military, a few weeks after testing an IRBM engine. The missile was fired from the Pyongyang area around 6:53 a.m. KST and flew around 373 miles (600 km) before landing in the sea, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. The Japanese defense ministry said North Korea fired an unspecified ballistic missile at around 6:52 a.m. and that it flew about 404 miles (650 km) at a maximum altitude of 62 miles (100 km). Tokyo said © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by Trending

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North Korea fires suspected intermediate-range missile weeks after engine test

Latest ballistic missile launch follows uptick in Kim Jong Un guiding weapons tests and military drills in last month

Arius Derr | Colin Zwirko April 2, 2024

North Korea fires suspected intermediate-range missile weeks after engine test

A January launch of a solid-fuel'hypersonic' IRBM from east Pyongyang | Image: Rodong Sinmun (Jan. 15, 2024)

North Korea fired a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) toward the East Sea (Sea of Japan) early Tuesday morning, according to the South Korean military, a few weeks after testing an IRBM engine.

The missile was fired from the Pyongyang area around 6:53 a.m. KST and flew around 373 miles (600 km) before landing in the sea, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The Japanese defense ministry said North Korea fired an unspecified ballistic missile at around 6:52 a.m. and that it flew about 404 miles (650 km) at a maximum altitude of 62 miles (100 km).

Tokyo said

About the Authors

Arius Derr

Arius Derr is Director of Communications at the Korea Economic Institute. He formerly worked as NK News Managing Editor from 2021 to 2022, Deputy Managing Editor from 2022 to 2023 and Editor from 2023 to 2025. Prior to that, he was an editor at East Asia Forum and KBS, South Korea’s public broadcaster. His graduate research focuses on U.S. nuclear policy and U.S.-DPRK relations. Follow him on Twitter @AriusDerr.

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Colin Zwirko

Colin Zwirko is a Senior Analytic Correspondent for NK News based in Seoul. He joined the company in 2018 after receiving a master's degree in international security and foreign policy from South Korea's Yonsei University. Follow him on Bluesky / Twitter.

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