South Korea and Japan say North Korean missile flight time and altitude both break records

On October 31, Jinshi Data reported that the Korean military found that North Korea had launched a ballistic missile from the Pyongyang area to the eastern waters of the peninsula at around 7:10 local time. The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea stated that the ballistic missile is an intercontinental ballistic missile launched at a high angle, with a flight altitude of about 7,000 kilometers. It fell outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone after flying about 1,000 kilometers. The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea cited data from the Japanese side, stating that the missile flew for about 86 minutes, setting a new record for the longest flight of a ballistic missile launched by North Korea. On the 31st, the Japanese Ministry of Defense also stated that North Korea had launched at least one ballistic missile, which flew for about 86 minutes, reaching a maximum altitude of over 7,000 kilometers. The flight time and altitude both broke previous records. It is speculated that a difficult-to-intercept high-angle launch method was used. It is reported that the missile ultimately fell outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.