North Korea missile test hints at greater menace to U.S. bases

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA >> North Korea launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile off its east coast Tuesday, an indication that the country was continuing to develop missiles capable of targeting U.S. military bases in the Western Pacific.

The missile, launched from near Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, did not fly over Japan, as have some of the IRBMs that North Korea has launched in the past. Instead, it fell in waters between the two countries after flying for 372 miles, the South Korean military said.

South Korean and U.S. officials were analyzing data collected from the test to learn more about the missile, the military said. But on Wednesday, the North Korean state media reported that the test had involved the Hwasong-16B, a new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile powered by a solid-fuel engine. Last month, North Korea said it had tested one such engine on the ground.