North Korea sparks concern after firing long-range intercontinental ballistic missile

North Korea says it fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the Pyongyang region on Thursday morning, stirring concern among residents and officials across Asia. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) says the weapon of mass destruction flew about 1,000km before hitting eastern waters, and according to Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, not only did it fly the “highest” altitude in the history of North Korean test missile launches (7,000km), but its longest duration too (86 minutes).