This July 4, 2017, file photo distributed by the North Korean government shows the launch of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in North Korea. North Korea's nuclear and missile development programs have without doubt come at a severe cost. Even so, the North has managed to march ever closer to having an arsenal capable of attacking targets in the region and _ as demonstrated by its July 4 ICBM test launch _ the United States' mainland. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this photo.
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This July 4, 2017, file photo distributed by the North Korean government shows the launch of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in North Korea. North Korea's nuclear and missile development
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Photo: Associated Press
Click through this slideshow to see a look back at North Korea.
1950: A United Nations soldier in uniform helps a wounded Canadian rifleman to an aid station behind the front lines during the Korean War.
Click through this slideshow to see a look back at North Korea.
1950: A United Nations soldier in uniform helps a wounded Canadian rifleman to an aid station behind the front lines during the Korean War.
Photo: Hulton Archive, Getty Images
1950: U.S. Army Major Carroll Cooper showing signs of exhaustion after going w/o sleep for three days and three nights in very cold weather during pursuit of North Koreans though the gorges of the Yalu River.
1950: U.S. Army Major Carroll Cooper showing signs of exhaustion after going w/o sleep for three days and three nights in very cold weather during pursuit of North Koreans though the gorges of the Yalu River.
Photo: Hank Walker, Time & Life Pictures/Getty Image
1952: American actress Marilyn Monroe (1926 - 1962) entertaining troops in Korea.
1952: American actress Marilyn Monroe (1926 - 1962) entertaining troops in Korea.
Photo: MPI, Getty Images
The battleship USS Missouri bombards Chongjin, North Korea, with her 16 inch guns during a mission to set out the lines of communication between the Northern and Southern parts of Korea during the Korean War. Chongjin is very close to the Soviet border and the Russian Naval base at Vladivostok.
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The battleship USS Missouri bombards Chongjin, North Korea, with her 16 inch guns during a mission to set out the lines of communication between the Northern and Southern parts of Korea during the Korean War.
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Photo: Central Press, Getty Images
1953: North Korean prisoners of war leaving a prison camp on Koja island to be transported to Inchon under a recent armistice.
1953: North Korean prisoners of war leaving a prison camp on Koja island to be transported to Inchon under a recent armistice.
Photo: Central Press, Getty Images
North Korean delegates and United Nations officers during negotiations to define the border between the two Koreas. Although these negotiations began in an atmosphere of defiance, they led to a answering of all the main questions except one: the Communists refused the principle, supported by the United Nations, according to which a war prisoner should not be returned to his army against his will. Negotiations were interrupted in October 1952 and were not started up again before April 1953. Perhaps the death of Joseph Stalin helped to re-open the dialogue.
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North Korean delegates and United Nations officers during negotiations to define the border between the two Koreas. Although these negotiations began in an atmosphere of defiance, they led to a answering of all
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Photo: Keystone-France, Gamma-Keystone Via Getty Images
A young woman in uniform applying eye-liner, North Korea, February 1973.
A young woman in uniform applying eye-liner, North Korea, February 1973.
Photo: John Bulmer, Getty Images
In this photo released by Korean Central News Agency via Korean News Service on September 30, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il (C, front row) and the Workers' Party of Korea executives and delegates pose for photographs at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korean leader Kim was re-appointed as the party's secretary general and has made a military general of Kim Jong-Un, believed to be his third son.
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In this photo released by Korean Central News Agency via Korean News Service on September 30, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il (C, front row) and the Workers' Party of Korea executives and delegates pose for
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Photo: Handout, Getty Images
A man and a woman walking past a selection of posters, North Korea, February 1973.
A man and a woman walking past a selection of posters, North Korea, February 1973.
Photo: John Bulmer, Getty Images
A guide shows a group of schoolchildren round a museum, North Korea, February 1973.
A guide shows a group of schoolchildren round a museum, North Korea, February 1973.
Photo: John Bulmer, Getty Images
Two men walking past a poster depicting North Korean revolutionary forces, North Korea, February 1973.
Two men walking past a poster depicting North Korean revolutionary forces, North Korea, February 1973.
Photo: John Bulmer, Getty Images
Two men walking up a flight of steps, North Korea, February 1973.
Two men walking up a flight of steps, North Korea, February 1973.
Photo: John Bulmer, Getty Images
A group of boys assembling assault rifles, North Korea, February 1973.
A group of boys assembling assault rifles, North Korea, February 1973.
Photo: John Bulmer, Getty Images
Three boys viewing a painting of North Korean Communist leader Kim Il-sung visiting a battery farm, North Korea, February 1973.
Three boys viewing a painting of North Korean Communist leader Kim Il-sung visiting a battery farm, North Korea, February 1973.
Photo: John Bulmer, Getty Images
A visitor viewing a portrait of Communist leader Kim Il-sung at the Revolutionary Museum of Culture, Pyongyang, North Korea, February 1973.
A visitor viewing a portrait of Communist leader Kim Il-sung at the Revolutionary Museum of Culture, Pyongyang, North Korea, February 1973.
Photo: John Bulmer, Getty Images
A man walking past a poster depicting Communist leader Kim Il-sung and North Korean revolutionary forces, North Korea, February 1973.
A man walking past a poster depicting Communist leader Kim Il-sung and North Korean revolutionary forces, North Korea, February 1973.
Photo: John Bulmer, Getty Images
Steps leading up a hill to a statue of North Korean Communist leader Kim Il-sung, North Korea, February 1973.
Steps leading up a hill to a statue of North Korean Communist leader Kim Il-sung, North Korea, February 1973.
Photo: John Bulmer, Getty Images
Three teenage girls viewing a painting in a museum in North Korea, February 1973.
Three teenage girls viewing a painting in a museum in North Korea, February 1973.
Photo: John Bulmer, Getty Images
A group of North Korean women marching in uniform, North Korea, February 1973.
A group of North Korean women marching in uniform, North Korea, February 1973.
Photo: John Bulmer, Getty Images
Visitors at the Mansudae Grand Monument, which depicts the North Korean revolutionary struggle, Pyongyang, North Korea, February 1973.
Visitors at the Mansudae Grand Monument, which depicts the North Korean revolutionary struggle, Pyongyang, North Korea, February 1973.
Photo: John Bulmer, Getty Images
Two men walking past a statue of North Korean Communist leader Kim Il-sung with a group of children, North Korea, February 1973.
Two men walking past a statue of North Korean Communist leader Kim Il-sung with a group of children, North Korea, February 1973.
Photo: John Bulmer, Getty Images
A guide (facing camera) with a group of visitors to the Mansudae Grand Monument, which depicts the North Korean revolutionary struggle, Pyongyang, North Korea, February 1973.
A guide (facing camera) with a group of visitors to the Mansudae Grand Monument, which depicts the North Korean revolutionary struggle, Pyongyang, North Korea, February 1973.
Photo: John Bulmer, Getty Images
A group of dancers performing in uniform, North Korea, February 1973.
A group of dancers performing in uniform, North Korea, February 1973.
Photo: John Bulmer, Getty Images
Lt. Col. Sung Jong-Chol of the North Korean army guides visitors in front of a picture of the late leader Kim Il-Sung on the North's side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) at Panmunjom, 27 March 2005. The division of the Korean peninsula between the communist north and the capitalist south led to the 1950-53 Korean War with the two sides still technically at war ever since an armistice was signed in 1953 dividing the two Koreas.
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Lt. Col. Sung Jong-Chol of the North Korean army guides visitors in front of a picture of the late leader Kim Il-Sung on the North's side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) at Panmunjom, 27 March 2005. The
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Photo: PETER PARKS, AFP/Getty Images
South Korean protestors hold portraits of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il and his son Kim Jong-Un and shout slogans at a rally opposing recent political decsions made by North Korea's ruling party on October 1, 2010 in Seoul, South Korea. The protest comes amidst fresh talks between the the two Koreas aimed at reuniting families seperated during conflict 60 years ago. North Korean leader Kim has recently been re-appointed as the party's secretary general and has made a military general of Kim Jong-Un, believed to be his third son.
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South Korean protestors hold portraits of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il and his son Kim Jong-Un and shout slogans at a rally opposing recent political decsions made by North Korea's ruling party on October
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Photo: Chung Sung-Jun, Getty Images
A North Korean soldier stands guard as the border town reopens following North Korea's attack on Yeonpyeong in late November, on December 8, 2010 in Panmunjom, South Korea. Dozens of artillery shells fired by North Korea struck the South Korean Island of Yeonpyeong on November 23, resulting in four deaths and further injuries, prompting return fire from South Korean troops. South Korea's new defense minister Kim Kwan-jin took office on December 4, vowing South Korea would launch air strikes on North Korea in the event of another attack.
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A North Korean soldier stands guard as the border town reopens following North Korea's attack on Yeonpyeong in late November, on December 8, 2010 in Panmunjom, South Korea. Dozens of artillery shells fired by
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Photo: Chung Sung-Jun, Getty Images
South Korean war veterans protest during an anti-North Korea rally on November 30, 2010 in Seoul, South Korea. South Korean and American military forces began war games exercises Sunday as tensions between the two Koreas remain high following an artillery exchange on the disputed island of Yeonpyeong on November 24.
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South Korean war veterans protest during an anti-North Korea rally on November 30, 2010 in Seoul, South Korea. South Korean and American military forces began war games exercises Sunday as tensions between the
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Photo: Chung Sung-Jun, Getty Images
This undated picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on July 23, 2011 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, right, and his son, Kim Jong-Un, left, visiting the Taedonggang Combined Fruit Farm and the newly built Taedonggang Combined Fruit Processing Factory at the suburb of Pyongyang.
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This undated picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on July 23, 2011 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, right, and his son, Kim Jong-Un, left, visiting the Taedonggang
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Photo: AFP, AFP/Getty Images
South Korean veterans and conservative activists salute the national flag during an anti-North Korea rally in Seoul on November 18, 2011, to mark the first anniversary of North Korea's artillery attack on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong last November. South Korea's defense chief on November 18 pledged strong revenge for any provocations by North Korea in an order marking the anniversary of the attack on November 23.
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South Korean veterans and conservative activists salute the national flag during an anti-North Korea rally in Seoul on November 18, 2011, to mark the first anniversary of North Korea's artillery attack on the
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Photo: JUNG YEON-JE, AFP/Getty Images
North Korean soldiers look in from outside the UN Command Military Armistice Commission meeting room as newly appointed commander General James Thurman (not in picture), commander of the United Nations Command (UNC), Combined Forces Command (CFC), and United States Forces Korea (USFK) visit to the border village of Panmunjom on July 15, 2011 in Panmunjom, South Korea. Thurman was appointed on Thursday as the commander of 28,500 American troops in South Korea in his capacity as commander of United States Forces Korea.
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North Korean soldiers look in from outside the UN Command Military Armistice Commission meeting room as newly appointed commander General James Thurman (not in picture), commander of the United Nations Command
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Photo: Pool, Getty Images
A general view of downtown on April 3, 2011 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Pyongyang is the capital city of North Korea and the population is about 2,500,000.
A general view of downtown on April 3, 2011 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Pyongyang is the capital city of North Korea and the population is about 2,500,000.
Photo: Feng Li, Getty Images
North Korean women work at the assembly line of the factory of South Korean Watch company Romanson at the Kaesong industrial complex on May 22, 2007 in Kaesong, North Korea. 300 South Korean companies, mostly labour-intensive manufacturers, are waiting to build their factories on the site by the end of 2007, just 10 km north of the world's most heavily fortified border bisecting the two Koreas. They plan to hire more than 100,000 North Koreans to make products ranging from shoes and watches, clothes, according to officials from Kaesong industrial complex. About 2,000 South Korean companies have applied to move their production facilities into the Kaesong complex, where they can pay only one-thirtieth of the monthly wage per worker they pay at home or half the pay even in China.
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North Korean women work at the assembly line of the factory of South Korean Watch company Romanson at the Kaesong industrial complex on May 22, 2007 in Kaesong, North Korea. 300 South Korean companies, mostly
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Photo: Chung Sung-Jun, Getty Images
In this image provided by a local resident, Smoke rises from South Korea's Yeonpyeong island near the border against North Korea on November 23, 2010 in Seoul, South Korea. Dozens of artillery shells fired by North Korea hit the South Korean Island of Yeonpyeong reportedly causing injuries and prompting return fire from South Korean forces. The incident comes amid tensions over North Korea's nuclear program and the announcement of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's youngest son as his successor.
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In this image provided by a local resident, Smoke rises from South Korea's Yeonpyeong island near the border against North Korea on November 23, 2010 in Seoul, South Korea. Dozens of artillery shells fired by
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Photo: Getty Images
Commuters move by escalator at Puhung Subway station situated more than 100M below the surface, it is also an atomic shelter, on April 2, 2011 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Pyongyang is the capital city of North Korea and the population is about 2,500,000.
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Commuters move by escalator at Puhung Subway station situated more than 100M below the surface, it is also an atomic shelter, on April 2, 2011 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Pyongyang is the capital city of North
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Photo: Feng Li, Getty Images
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton looks toward North Korea during a visit to observation post Ouellette at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), on July 21, 2010 in Panmunjon, South Korea. The DMZ is a strip of land that divides North and South Korea at the 38th parallel. Sixty years ago on June 25, 1950, North Korean forces crossed the parallel and invaded South Korea starting the Korean War.
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton looks toward North Korea during a visit to observation post Ouellette at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), on July 21, 2010 in Panmunjon, South Korea. The DMZ is a strip of land
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Photo: Mark Wilson, Getty Images
A pin depicting Kim Il Sung, founder of North Korea is attached to the skirt of a teacher in a primary school on April 2, 2011 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Pyongyang is the capital city of North Korea and the population is about 2,500,000.
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A pin depicting Kim Il Sung, founder of North Korea is attached to the skirt of a teacher in a primary school on April 2, 2011 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Pyongyang is the capital city of North Korea and the
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Photo: Feng Li, Getty Images
North Korean children learn to use the computer in a primary school on April 2, 2011 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Pyongyang is the capital city of North Korea and the population is about 2,500,000.
North Korean children learn to use the computer in a primary school on April 2, 2011 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Pyongyang is the capital city of North Korea and the population is about 2,500,000.
Photo: Feng Li, Getty Images
A soldier stands guard outside the Kim-Il-Sung Mausoleum at the Kumusan Memorial Palace on April 3, 2011 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Pyongyang is the capital city of North Korea and the population is about 2,500,000.
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A soldier stands guard outside the Kim-Il-Sung Mausoleum at the Kumusan Memorial Palace on April 3, 2011 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Pyongyang is the capital city of North Korea and the population is about
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Photo: Feng Li, Getty Images
North Korean children perform in a primary school on April 2, 2011 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Pyongyang is the capital city of North Korea and the population is about 2,500,000.
North Korean children perform in a primary school on April 2, 2011 in Pyongyang, North Korea. Pyongyang is the capital city of North Korea and the population is about 2,500,000.
Photo: Feng Li, Getty Images
North Koreans in a bus bid farewell to their South Korean relatives before they return to their home after a family reunion after being separated for 60 years following the North Korean War on November 1, 2010 in Mount Kumgang, North Korea. Red Cross officials from the two Koreas exchanged lists of families to be reunited, 100 names each, at a checkpoint in the border town of Kaesong in North Korea.
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North Koreans in a bus bid farewell to their South Korean relatives before they return to their home after a family reunion after being separated for 60 years following the North Korean War on November 1, 2010
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Photo: Pool, Getty Images
North Korean soldiers look at U.S. soldiers during the 57th anniversary of signing the ceasefire agreement ceremony on July 27, 2010 in Panmunjom, South Korea. United States and South Korea are operating a joint military exercise while marking 57th anniversary of signing the ceasefire agreement of Korean War between 1950 to 1953. The exercise, first joint drill after the sinking of South Korean warship in March 2010, is taking place for four days, and has drawn condemnation from Pyongyang.
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North Korean soldiers look at U.S. soldiers during the 57th anniversary of signing the ceasefire agreement ceremony on July 27, 2010 in Panmunjom, South Korea. United States and South Korea are operating a
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Photo: Pool, Getty Images
South Koreans rush out into the street during a drill against possible threats from North Korea at the Marriott hotel on May 28, 2010 in Seoul, South Korea. The exercise is intended to prepare the South Korean defense force for any potential action from North Korea and preparation for possible terrorist attacks during the upcoming G-20 Finance Minister and Central Bank Governors Meeting to be held in Busan in June, this year.
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South Koreans rush out into the street during a drill against possible threats from North Korea at the Marriott hotel on May 28, 2010 in Seoul, South Korea. The exercise is intended to prepare the South Korean
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Photo: Chung Sung-Jun, Getty Images
South Korean Catholic nuns pray for unification of communist North Korea and capitalist South Korea at Chogye Buddhist Temple 12 August in Seoul. Monks, nuns and Protestants later walked together to Myongdong Catholic Cathedral. The prayer cards show a map of Korea with no demilitarized zone.
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South Korean Catholic nuns pray for unification of communist North Korea and capitalist South Korea at Chogye Buddhist Temple 12 August in Seoul. Monks, nuns and Protestants later walked together to Myongdong
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Photo: Str-cho SUNG-SU, AFP/Getty Images
This picture, taken by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on January 29, 2013 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un addressing the Fourth Conference of Cell Secretaries of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in Pyongyang.
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This picture, taken by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on January 29, 2013 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un addressing the Fourth Conference of Cell Secretaries of the Workers'
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Photo: AFP, AFP/Getty Images
South Korean President Moon Jae-in speaks as he presides over a meeting of the National Security Council at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, early Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korea test-fired on Friday what the U.S. believes was its second intercontinental ballistic missile, which flew longer and higher than its first ICBM launched earlier this month, officials said. (Yonhap via AP)
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South Korean President Moon Jae-in speaks as he presides over a meeting of the National Security Council at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, early Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korea
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Photo: AP
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, right, speaks as he presides over a meeting of the National Security Council at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, early Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korea test-fired on Friday what the U.S. believes was its second intercontinental ballistic missile, which flew longer and higher than its first ICBM launched earlier this month, officials said. (Yonhap via AP)
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South Korean President Moon Jae-in, right, speaks as he presides over a meeting of the National Security Council at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, early Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korea
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Photo: AP
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, center, presides over a meeting of the National Security Council at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, early Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korea test-fired on Friday what the U.S. believes was its second intercontinental ballistic missile, which flew longer and higher than its first ICBM launched earlier this month, officials said. (Yonhap via AP)
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South Korean President Moon Jae-in, center, presides over a meeting of the National Security Council at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, early Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korea test-fired
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Photo: AP
A man walks in front of a public TV screen broadcasting news of North Korea's test-firing of its second intercontinental ballistic missile, in Tokyo Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korea on Friday test-fired its second intercontinental ballistic missile, which flew longer and higher than the first according to its wary neighbors, leading analysts to conclude that a wide swath of the U.S., including Los Angeles and Chicago, is now within range of Pyongyang's weapons. The ticker above reads: "North Korea fired ICBM missile."
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A man walks in front of a public TV screen broadcasting news of North Korea's test-firing of its second intercontinental ballistic missile, in Tokyo Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korea on Friday test-fired its
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Photo: Eugene Hoshiko, AP
People sit in front of a TV screen showing a news program reporting about North Korea's missile firing, at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korea on Friday test-fired its second intercontinental ballistic missile, which flew longer and higher than the first according to its wary neighbors, leading analysts to conclude that a wide swath of the U.S., including Los Angeles and Chicago, is now within range of Pyongyang's weapons.
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People sit in front of a TV screen showing a news program reporting about North Korea's missile firing, at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korea on Friday test-fired
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Photo: Ahn Young-joon, AP
A TV news program shows a file image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korea on Friday test-fired its second intercontinental ballistic missile, which flew longer and higher than the first according to its wary neighbors, leading analysts to conclude that a wide swath of the U.S., including Los Angeles and Chicago, is now within range of Pyongyang's weapons. The signs read: "North Korea launched a missile at midnight."
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A TV news program shows a file image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korea on Friday test-fired its second intercontinental
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Photo: Ahn Young-joon, AP
In this photo provided by South Korea Defense Ministry, U.S. Army Tactical Missile System fires a missile during the combined military exercise between the U.S. and South Korea against North Korea at an undisclosed location in South Korea, Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Saturday the second flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile demonstrated his country can hit the U.S. mainland, hours after the launch left analysts concluding that a wide swath of the United States, including Los Angeles and Chicago, is now in range of North Korean weapons. (South Korea Defense Ministry via AP)
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In this photo provided by South Korea Defense Ministry, U.S. Army Tactical Missile System fires a missile during the combined military exercise between the U.S. and South Korea against North Korea at an
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Photo: AP
People watch a TV news program showing a file image of a missile being test-launched by North Korea, at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korea on Friday test-fired its second intercontinental ballistic missile, which flew longer and higher than the first according to its wary neighbors, leading analysts to conclude that a wide swath of the U.S., including Los Angeles and Chicago, is now within range of Pyongyang's weapons. The signs read: "The deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system called THAAD."
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People watch a TV news program showing a file image of a missile being test-launched by North Korea, at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korea on Friday test-fired its
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Photo: Ahn Young-joon, AP
In this photo provided by South Korea Defense Ministry, South Korea's Hyunmoo II Missile system fires a missile during the combined military exercise between the U.S. and South Korea against North Korea at an undisclosed location in South Korea, Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Saturday the second flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile demonstrated his country can hit the U.S. mainland, hours after the launch left analysts concluding that a wide swath of the United States, including Los Angeles and Chicago, is now in range of North Korean weapons. (South Korea Defense Ministry via AP)
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In this photo provided by South Korea Defense Ministry, South Korea's Hyunmoo II Missile system fires a missile during the combined military exercise between the U.S. and South Korea against North Korea at an
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Photo: AP
In this photo provided by South Korea Defense Ministry, South Korea's Hyunmoo II Missile system fires missiles during the combined military exercise between the U.S. and South Korea against North Korea at an undisclosed location in South Korea, Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Saturday the second flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile demonstrated his country can hit the U.S. mainland, hours after the launch left analysts concluding that a wide swath of the United States, including Los Angeles and Chicago, is now in range of North Korean weapons. (South Korea Defense Ministry via AP)
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In this photo provided by South Korea Defense Ministry, South Korea's Hyunmoo II Missile system fires missiles during the combined military exercise between the U.S. and South Korea against North Korea at an
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Photo: AP
In this photo provided by South Korea Defense Ministry, U.S. Army Tactical Missile System fires a missile during the combined military exercise between the U.S. and South Korea against North Korea at an undisclosed location in South Korea, Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Saturday the second flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile demonstrated his country can hit the U.S. mainland, hours after the launch left analysts concluding that a wide swath of the United States, including Los Angeles and Chicago, is now in range of North Korean weapons. (South Korea Defense Ministry via AP)
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In this photo provided by South Korea Defense Ministry, U.S. Army Tactical Missile System fires a missile during the combined military exercise between the U.S. and South Korea against North Korea at an
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Photo: AP
People watch a news broadcast on a missile launch in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Saturday the second flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile demonstrated his country can hit the U.S. mainland, hours after the launch left analysts concluding that a wide swath of the United States, including Los Angeles and Chicago, is now in range of North Korean weapons.
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People watch a news broadcast on a missile launch in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Saturday the second flight test of an intercontinental ballistic
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Photo: Jon Chol Jin, AP
People watch a news broadcast on a missile launch in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Saturday the second flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile demonstrated his country can hit the U.S. mainland, hours after the launch left analysts concluding that a wide swath of the United States, including Los Angeles and Chicago, is now in range of North Korean weapons.
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People watch a news broadcast on a missile launch in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Saturday the second flight test of an intercontinental ballistic
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Photo: Jon Chol Jin, AP
People react while watching a news broadcast on a missile launch in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Saturday the second flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile demonstrated his country can hit the U.S. mainland, hours after the launch left analysts concluding that a wide swath of the United States, including Los Angeles and Chicago, is now in range of North Korean weapons.
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People react while watching a news broadcast on a missile launch in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Saturday the second flight test of an intercontinental
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Photo: Jon Chol Jin, AP
People watch a news broadcast on a missile launch in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Saturday the second flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile demonstrated his country can hit the U.S. mainland, hours after the launch left analysts concluding that a wide swath of the United States, including Los Angeles and Chicago, is now in range of North Korean weapons.
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People watch a news broadcast on a missile launch in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Saturday the second flight test of an intercontinental ballistic
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Photo: Jon Chol Jin, AP
People watch a news broadcast on a missile launch in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Saturday the second flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile demonstrated his country can hit the U.S. mainland, hours after the launch left analysts concluding that a wide swath of the United States, including Los Angeles and Chicago, is now in range of North Korean weapons.
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People watch a news broadcast on a missile launch in Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, July 29, 2017. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Saturday the second flight test of an intercontinental ballistic
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Photo: Jon Chol Jin, AP
North Korea says 2nd ICBM test puts 'entire' US in range
PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Saturday the second flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile demonstrated his country can hit the U.S. mainland, hours after the launch left analysts concluding that a wide swath of the United States, including Los Angeles and Chicago, is now in range of North Korean weapons.
The Korean Central News Agency said that Kim expressed "great satisfaction" after the Hwasong-14 missile reached a maximum height of 3,725 kilometers (2,314 miles) and traveled 998 kilometers (620 miles) before accurately landing in waters off Japan. The agency said that the test was aimed at confirming the maximum range and other technical aspects of the missile it says was capable of delivering a "large-sized, heavy nuclear warhead."
Analysts had estimated that the North's first ICBM on July 4 could have reached Alaska, and said that the latest missile appeared to extend that range significantly.
Immediately after the launch, U.S. and South Korean forces conducted live-fire exercises. South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo called for the deployment of strategic U.S. military assets — which usually means stealth bombers and aircraft carriers — as well as additional launchers of an advanced U.S. anti-missile system.
Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said the missile, launched late Friday night, flew for about 45 minutes — about five minutes longer than the first. The missile was launched on very high trajectory, which limited the distance it traveled, and landed west of Japan's island of Hokkaido.
The KCNA quoted Kim as saying that the launch reaffirmed the reliability of the country's ICBM system and an ability to fire at "random regions and locations at random times" with the "entire" U.S. mainland now within range. The agency said that the test confirmed important features of the missile system, such as the proper separation of the warhead and controlling its movement and detonation after atmospheric re-entry.
Kim said the launch sent a "serious warning" to the United States, which has been "meaninglessly blowing its trumpet" with threats of war and stronger sanctions, the KCNA said.
On the streets of Pyongyang, North Koreans welcomed the news of their country's latest missile test while state media broadcast images of a projectile launched into the night sky. Kim Jong Un was seen in the company of military commanders near a mobile missile launcher.
"I feel really confident. From now on, we will develop and have the strongest weapons, strategic weapons, so we can safeguard our sovereignty and independence, so that we can end up winning against the imperialists and against America," said Pak Gi Nam, a student. It is normal for North Koreans talking in front of TV cameras to stick to the official version of events.
The North Korean flight data was similar to assessments by the United States, South Korea and Japan.
David Wright, a physicist and co-director of the global security program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said that if reports of the missile's maximum altitude and flight time are correct, it would have a theoretical range of at least 10,400 kilometers (about 6,500 miles). That means it could have reached Los Angeles, Denver or Chicago, depending on variables such as the size and weight of the warhead that would be carried atop such a missile in an actual attack.
President Donald Trump issued a statement condemning the missile test as a threat to the world, and rejecting North Korea's claim that nuclear weapons ensure its security. "In reality, they have the opposite effect," he said.
Trump said the weapons and tests "further isolate North Korea, weaken its economy, and deprive its people." He vowed to "take all necessary steps" to ensure the security of the U.S. and its allies.
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said he told U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a phone call that the second missile test greatly increased the threat from Pyongyang. He said two sides agreed to consider all means necessary to exert the utmost pressure on North Korea. They reiterated calls for new sanctions and to work closely together with South Korea along with efforts by China and Russia.
China, meanwhile, urged its ally North Korea to abide by U.N. Security Council resolutions and halt any moves that could escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Washington and its allies have watched with growing concern as Pyongyang has made significant progress toward its goal of having all of the U.S. within range of its missiles to counter what it labels as U.S. aggression. There are other hurdles, including building nuclear warheads to fit on those missiles and ensuring reliability. But many analysts have been surprised by how quickly leader Kim Jong Un has developed North Korea's nuclear and missile programs despite several rounds of U.N. Security Council sanctions that have squeezed the impoverished country's economy.
Trump has said he will not allow North Korea to obtain an ICBM that can deliver a nuclear warhead. But this week, the Defense Intelligence Agency reportedly concluded that the North will have a reliable ICBM capable of carrying a nuclear weapon as early as next year, in an assessment that trimmed two years from the agency's earlier estimate.
The French Foreign Ministry condemned the launch and called for "strong and additional sanctions" by the United Nations and European Union. "Only maximal diplomatic pressure might bring North Korea to the negotiating table," the ministry said in a statement.
"This is a 4G threat: global, grave, given and growing," France's U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre told The Associated Press. That's why we call for a firm and quick reaction including the adoption of strong additional sanctions by the Security Council."
A spokesman for Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that Dunford met at the Pentagon with the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, Adm. Harry Harris, to discuss U.S. military options in light of North Korea's missile test.
The spokesman, Navy Capt. Greg Hicks, said Dunford and Harris placed a phone call to Dunford's South Korean counterpart, Gen. Lee Sun Jin. Dunford and Harris "expressed the ironclad commitment to the U.S.-Republic of Korea alliance," Hicks said, referring to the U.S. defense treaty that obliges the U.S. to defend South Korea.
Abe, too, said Japan would cooperate closely with the U.S., South Korea and other nations to step up pressure on North Korea to halt its missile programs.
The Hwasong 14 ICBM test-fired earlier this month was also launched at a very steep angle, a technique called lofting, and reached a height of more than 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) before splashing down in the ocean 930 kilometers (580 miles) away. Analysts said that missile could be capable of reaching most of Alaska or possibly Hawaii if fired in an attacking trajectory.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched from North Korea's northern Jagang province near the border with China. President Moon Jae-in presided over an emergency meeting of the National Security Council, which called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council and stronger sanctions on North Korea.
July 27 is a major national holiday in North Korea called Victory in the Fatherland Liberation War Day, marking the day when the armistice was signed ending the 1950-53 Korean War. That armistice is yet to be replaced with a peace treaty, leaving the Korean Peninsula technically in a state of war.
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Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo. Associated Press writers Robert Burns and Darlene Superville in Washington, Kim Tong-hyung and Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, Edith Lederer at the United Nations and Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed to this report.