North Korea’s test-launch last Sunday was a Hwasong-15 ICBM which can reach the USA.

North Korea launched its Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Saturday, according to the North’s state-controlled media, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The missile flew 989 km with a maximum altitude of 5,768 km.

The ICBM launch came a day after a spokesperson of the North’s Foreign Ministry vowed to step up “counteractions” to the South Korea-U.S. combined military drills.

Saturday’s launch was not planned but carried out according to “the written order” with “a personal signature” of the North’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un, according to KCNA.

When test-firing a spate of short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) last year, North Korea skipped reporting details of the performances of the tested missiles. To show off its advanced long-range missile capabilities to confront the United States and South Korea, however, it released specifics on the performance of Hwasong-15, along with the background of the testing.