North Korea conducted its most significant missile test in years on Thursday, marking an official end to Kim Jong Un’s April 2018 moratorium on long-range weapons testing.

Besides representing the final nail in the coffin for Moon Jae-in’s diplomatic outreach to Kim Jong Un, the test may also constitute the completion of a major new weapon capability: the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). 

As a result, Thursday’s test will likely precede other significant forms of DPRK weapons testing in the months ahead and drive an escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula. [/p