The ballistic missile launched by North Korea on May 14 successfully re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere, according to analysts, a significant breakthrough for Pyongyang’s missile program. Defence officials in South Korea and the US have confirmed that the launch of the liquid- fuel Hwasong-12 was a success. North Korea claimed that the weapon reached an
altitude of 2,111.5 km (1,312 miles) and traveled a distance of 489 miles before breaching Japan’s Air Defence Identification Zone and splashing down in the Sea of Japan.The missile took a steep parabolic route that tested its ability to survive re-entry into the atmosphere, with North Korean state media reporting that the missile – capable of carrying a “large-size, heavy nuclear warhead” to a target on the US mainland – had come through “the worst re-entry situation” and struck its intended target. FULL REPORT
