North Korea expands missile capabilities

A woman walks past a public television screen in Tokyo on Oct 4, 2022, displaying file footage of an early morning North Korean missile launch which prompted an evacuation alert when it flew over northeastern Japan. - AFP

SEOUL (Reuters):This week's rare North Korean test flight, which sent a missile soaring over Japan, underscored the nuclear-armed state's rapidly advancing arsenal amid stalled denuclearisation talks.

Tuesday's (Oct 4) ballistic missile was the 39th launched by North Korea this year. Its record schedule began in January with the launch of a new "hypersonic missile," and went on to include long-range cruise missiles; short-range ballistic missiles fired from rail cars, airports, and a submarine; and its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches since 2017.