North Korea: Pyongyang launches intercontinental ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan Nov. 18 /update 1

Event

South Korean military personnel said North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) toward the East Sea (Sea of Japan) at around 10:15 KST Nov. 18 from Pyongyang's Sunan area. The missile flew for 1,000 km (621 miles) and reached an altitude of 6,100 km (3,790 miles). Japanese officials said the missile did not fly over the country, but fell in its Exclusive Economic Zone about 210 km (130 miles) west of Oshima, Hokkaido Prefecture. The incident did not result in damage or casualties.

Context

The latest test occurs one day after North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan Nov. 17. In recent weeks, North Korea also launched a series of ballistic missiles to oppose the joint US-South Korea Vigilant Storm air exercises that ended Nov. 5, and South Korea's Taeguk exercises that concluded Nov. 10. Additional missile launches remain possible in the coming weeks.

Despite attempts at jumpstarting diplomacy, the geopolitical dynamics on the Korean Peninsula remain largely unaltered, as North Korea has previously stated that it will only give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for concrete moves to reduce perceived US threats against it. North Korean leaders have previously warned of stronger actions in response to the latest US sanctions. However, both sides will likely avoid any actions that could escalate into a full-scale conflict.