North Korea Fires Missile Over Japan in Longest-Ever Flight

North Korea carried out its longest-ever ballistic missile test on Friday, launching an intermediate-range weapon over Japan into the northern Pacific and signaling both defiance and a technological leap. The U.S. President Donald Trump had recently threatened Pyongyang with “fire and fury” in August, while North Korea has since conducted its most powerful nuclear test, threatened missiles near Guam, and launched two longer-range missiles over Japan. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the latest missile traveled about 3,700 kilometers and reached a maximum height of 770 kilometers. Guam, where major U.S. military assets are based, is about 3,400 kilometers away. Japan sounded alarms in the north but reported no apparent damage to aircraft or ships. The missile was the 19th ballistic missile launch this year, and it was the second such launch over Japan in less than a month.