Kim poses with his ‘nuclear missile’: North Korean dictator personally inspects his latest long-range weapon before carrying out successful test launch
Kim Jong-un has been pictured inspecting his new missile before it was tested
Dictator oversaw the test and was later pictured celebrating with officials
State media claimed projectile can carry a nuclear warhead to mainland US
While the weapon has the longest range of any successfully tested by the regime, experts believe it still falls short of hitting America
By CHRIS PLEASANCE and DARREN BOYLE
DAILYMAIL.COM
15 May 2017
Kim Jong-un has been pictured inspecting his new ballistic missile which he claims can carry a nuclear warhead before it was test-fired on Sunday.
The dictator gave the projectile, dubbed Hwasong-12, a once-over at its launch site in the Kusong region in images published by state media.
After the launch was deemed a success, Kim was seen laughing and celebrating with officials before vowing to carry out more nuclear and missile tests.
The missile travelled more than 400 miles before crashing into the Sea of Japan just off the Russian coast, according to the state-backed North Korean Central News Agency and South Korean analysts.
Hwasong-12, an intermediate-range ballistic missile, has the longest range of any weapon successfully tested by Kim’s regime, with officials estimating it has a maximum range of 2,500 miles.
Kim claims the new weapon puts the United States mainland within ‘sighting range for strike’, though Los Angeles is located around 5,000miles from the launch site used on Sunday.
North Korea is attempting to develop inter-continental ballistic missiles, named Taepodong, though a successful test of one has yet to be verified.
Kim was said to have hugged officials in the field of rocket research after the launch, saying that they worked hard to achieve a great thing, state media reported.
The North fired the ballistic missile that landed in the sea near Russia on Sunday in a launch that Washington called a message to South Korea, days after its new president took office pledging to engage Pyongyang in dialogue.
According to KCNA: ‘The test-fire aimed at verifying the tactical and technological specifications of the newly developed ballistic rocket capable of carrying a large-size heavy nuclear warhead.’
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