Japan on North Korea's Ballistic Missile Launch: "Estimated Maximum Altitude 2000 km... Likely a High-Angle Launch"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] NHK reported that the Japanese government announced on the 30th that the maximum altitude of the ballistic missile launched by North Korea is estimated to have reached 2000 km.

According to the report, Hirokazu Matsuno, Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, stated at a temporary press conference in the morning, "North Korea launched one ballistic missile eastward from inland North Korea around 7:52 AM today."

Minister Matsuno explained, "The maximum altitude of the ballistic missile is about 2000 km, the flight time is approximately 30 minutes, and it is estimated to have flown about 800 km before falling outside Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the East Sea."

A source from the Japanese Ministry of Defense told NHK that North Korea's ballistic missile this time was launched at a higher angle than usual, suppressing the range with a lofted trajectory. NHK reported, "If North Korea launched a ballistic missile on a lofted trajectory, it would be the first time since November 2019."

The Japanese government held a National Security Council (NSC) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida regarding North Korea's missile launch. Prime Minister Kishida told reporters at the Prime Minister's Office, "We are making efforts to gather information."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.