North Korea Tests New Intercontinental Missile

North Korea announced on Friday that it had launched an intercontinental ballistic missile "to instill fear in the enemies." Leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test launch of the Hwasong-17 missile, emphasizing the need to "instill fear in the enemies" due to what he described as the "open hostility" demonstrated by the military exercises of the United States and South Korea towards his country, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. The missile, which was launched at a high angle to avoid the territories of North Korea's neighbors, reached a maximum altitude of 6,045 kilometers and flew 1,000 kilometers before landing in waters off the eastern coast of the country. This missile launch came hours before South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a summit aimed in part at rebuilding security relations between the US allies in the face of North Korean nuclear threats. Additionally, this "missile" message coincided with an agreement between South Korea and Japan at their leaders' summit to work closely on regional security with the US and to conduct military exercises across the region that will continue until March 23, according to the Associated Press.