N.Korea designates 'missile industry day' for test-launch of ICBM

Seoul, Nov 5 (IANS) North Korea has designated a "missile industry day" to mark a test-firing of its Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in 2022, the media reported on Sunday.

North Korea test-fired the ICBM on November 18, 2022, with leader Kim Jong-un declaring that the missile reaffirmed his regime's acquisition of a powerful and reliable capability to counter any nuclear threats, Yonhap news agency reported.

November 18 was designated as the "missile industry day" because it displayed "the might of a world-class nuclear power and the strongest ICBM possessor was demonstrated to the whole world," the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

The designation was made at a session of the Permanent Commission of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea, it said.

At that time, North Korea's state media said the missile flew 999.2 km for 4,135 seconds at an apogee of 6,040.9 km and landed in the international waters of the East Sea.

Last week, South Korea's spy agency said North Korea is believed to be in the final stage of preparations to carry out what would be its third satellite launch after two failed attempts earlier this year.

After its second attempt failed in August, North Korea had said it would try again in October. But no such launch has happened, and North Korea has given no word as to why the launch has been postponed and when it will take place.