North Korea’s most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch yet featured a dramatic, Hollywood-style film of Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un and his military officials as they oversaw its success.
The 15-minute segment was aired on state television on Friday afternoon to highlight the importance of the launch for Kim. The stylized action movie-like video featured the North Korean leader and military officials walking in slow-motion with the missile behind them.
The Hwasong-17, which is Pyongyang’s first full ICBM launch since 2017, purportedly flew 3,880 miles (approximately 6,244 kilometers) and traveled 680 miles (approximately 1,094 kilometers) before landing off the coast of Toshima Peninsula.
While Japanese media noted that the missile could reach the U.S. East Coast if it followed a normal trajectory, the U.S. State Department imposed new sanctions on Russia and North Korea for the transfer of sensitive items to Pyongyang’s missile program.
