After a tense few weeks of North Korea shouting at the world, launching things into the air, and many other countries subsequently shouting back, it doesn’t seem like things are going to be quieting down any time soon. The reclusive nation spent the weekend showing the entire world just how close it is to becoming a real problem by sending its new ballistic missile skyward. Reports of the launch flooded the internet shortly after it took place, but now the country itself has released a short video of the test so you can see it for yourself.
The missile, which was identified as the country’s new Hwasong-12, performed better than any of its predecessors. It reached an altitude of nearly 1,250 miles, which is a showcase of how North Korea’s missile program is maturing, but it was also quite well-behaved, splashing down less than 500 miles away from the launch site.
It didn’t pose a threat to neighboring countries thanks to its trajectory, but many military analysts are calling it a sizable leap in terms of North Korea’s weapons technology. The country has since said that the missile is capable of toting a nuclear warhead.
The successful launch comes after a significant embarrassment for North Korea’s military in April, when a missile test ended in the destruction of the entire weapon shortly after takeoff. The Hwasong-12’s launch has drawn the usual criticism from all the major global players, including Russia, whose coastal waters were nearest to the missile’s eventually splashdown.
