North Korea fired the largest possible intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) into the sea on Thursday, sending a clear message to the United States and other rival countries for the Asian nation to be accepted as a nuclear power.

Japan's Defense Ministry reported that the intercontinental ballistic missile flew at an altitude of 6,000 kilometers and a distance of 1,080 kilometers with a flight time of 71 minutes before landing in waters off the west coast of Japan, at the same time that Western leaders are meeting in Brussels, Belgium, for a security summit.
The United States along with its allies, South Korea and Japan, strongly condemned the launch and called on North Korea to refrain from further destabilizing acts.
"The door has not closed on diplomacy, but Pyongyang must immediately cease its destabilizing actions. The United States will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the American homeland and Republic of Korea and Japanese allies," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.
South Korea's military responded to North Korea's ICBM test by launching several warning missiles for the first time since 2017, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported.