North Korean Test Missile Falls Over One of Its Cities

The Diplomat reported on Wednesday that a North Korean missile test in April 2017 failed, and the missile fell over one of the cities in that country. At that time, the North Korean regime was testing a medium-range ballistic missile named "Hwasong-12," which is capable of targeting U.S. territory in Guam. This missile was even displayed at a parade on April 15 before a successful test. According to Newsweek, North Korea tested the "Hwasong-12" missile for the third time on April 29 (9 Ordibehesht). This test launch was conducted from the Pukchang airbase located 80 kilometers north of Pyongyang, the capital of the country, which is a new site for testing this type of missile. Previous unsuccessful tests of this ballistic missile model during April took place near the port city of Sinpo on the northeastern coast of North Korea. The test on April 29 also failed due to a technical defect in the engine. The missile had reached a maximum altitude of 75 to 80 kilometers before falling. The crash site of this missile was previously unknown, but an informed source in the U.S. government told The Diplomat that the missile fell in the city of Tokchon, located 70 kilometers northeast of the airbase. Satellite images from Google Earth and Planet Labs published in The Diplomat confirm the American official's statements and show the destruction of a large building next to a complex. However, these images alone cannot confirm the likelihood of casualties from the missile's fall. After another test on May 14, 2017, the North Korean government claimed that the "Hwasong-12" missile was successfully launched. In this test, the missile traveled approximately 700 kilometers and landed in the Pacific Ocean, 100 kilometers from the Vladivostok area in eastern Russia. Newsweek adds that North Korea successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile model "Hwasong-14" in July using parts from the "Hwasong-12." In November, the "Hwasong-15" model was also tested, thus placing all U.S. territory within the range of its missiles. However, the "Hwasong-12" appears to be the most reliable model among North Korean missiles. This model not only played a key role in Kim Jong-un's threats against U.S. territory in Guam in August but has also been successfully tested twice since then in 2017. Two other test launches of missiles took place a few weeks apart on August 28 and September 14, 2017, from two different locations. In both cases, the missiles landed in the Pacific Ocean after passing over the skies of Hokkaido, Japan. In each test launch, the distance and altitude of the missiles exceeded those of the previous test, demonstrating the rapid advancement of North Korea's missile programs.