North Korea test-launched new ‘Hwasong-17’ ICBM for first time, state media says

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North Korea test-launched new ‘Hwasong-17’ ICBM for first time, state media says

Longest-range nuclear weapon test since 2017 intended to 'contain' U.S. military threats, Pyongyang says

Colin Zwirko March 25, 2022

North Korea test-launched new ‘Hwasong-17’ ICBM for first time, state media says

The "Hwasong-17" ICBM reportedly firing from its launch vehicle on March 24 | Image: Rodong Sinmun (March 25, 2022)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided the successful test-launch of a new "powerful tool for nuclear attack" called the "Hwasong-17" intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Thursday as part of efforts to "contain" the U.S., state media reported the following day.

Pyongyang claimed it carried out the test to "ensure the scientific and technical reliability of [the Hwasong-17's] prompt operation under the wartime condition," as neighboring countries and the U.S. condemn the launch as a major provocation.