North Korea usually avoids testing at night or in the fall, but the timing of the test likely included a message: the threat to the US from ICBMs is real.
North Korea demonstrated its most capable threat to the US yet on Tuesday night, with a 53 minute flight of what initial reports are calling an intercontinental ballistic missile.
North Korea has tested ICBMs before, but the country has never shown the ability to reach important east coast targets in the US like Washington DC or New York City. This time, not only did they show range, North Korea showed the kind of skills and tactics they’d need to actually nuke one of those targets.
North Korea usually avoids testing at night or in the winter or fall, but the timing of the test likely included a message: the threat to the US from ICBMs is real.
The South Korea and Japan detected a radio signal they found usually consistent with launch preparations earlier on Tuesday, but said it was likely « within days » until a test took place.
The quick run up from the signal to the launch and the timing in the dead of night suggest North Korea prioritized practicing a realistic nuclear strike on the US instead of just a drill.
