Seoul — North Korea has released pictures of its latest missile launch, giving analysts a chance to test Pyongyang’s claim of a breakthrough that brings the whole of the US within range of a nuclear strike. Leader Kim Jong-un declared the test of a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) had completed his nation’s drive to become a full-fledged nuclear power. But analysts remain unconvinced that the North has mastered the technology required to launch and direct a missile, and ensure it survives the difficult re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. "Though North Korea continues to progress, our assessments have not changed in that a viable ICBM capable of reaching the west coast of the US mainland still remains about a year away," said the respected 38North website. Here are some key issues raised by the launch, and what Pyongyang — and the outside world — say about them. Pyongyang: The Hwasong-15 reached an altitude of 4,475km before splashing into the sea 950km east of ...
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