Analysts were watching closely as the numbers around the launch rolled in and have since concluded major cities, including Los Angeles and Chicago, could be reached by a North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
The missile fired in North Korea's latest test may have landed in the Sea of Japan but it proves the nuclear-armed country has weaponry that could "basically put all of the United States within range".
And it shows the rogue state has the power to make a "surprise launch of the ICBM in any region and place at any time", according to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
"This is only the second test of this system. Our estimates from the first one had the missile going about 6,700 kilometres, which put Alaska within range," Shea Cotton from the James Martin Centre for Non-proliferation Studies in California told AM.
"Our estimates with this one [are] that if it was fired within full range, ... this would go about 10,000 to 11,000 kilometres and at that point they've basically put all of the United States within range".
What has North Korea said?
PHOTO: Kim Jong-un says the whole US mainland is in the firing range of DPRK missiles. (Reuters: KCNA)North Korea's official KCNA news agency reported that Kim Jong-un personally supervised the midnight launch of the missile on Friday night and said it was a "stern warning" for the United States that it would not be safe from destruction if it tried to attack.
"The test-fire reconfirmed the reliability of the ICBM system, demonstrated the capability of making a surprise launch of the ICBM in any region and place any time, and clearly proved that the whole US mainland is in the firing range of the DPRK missiles, [Mr Kim] said with pride," KCNA reported.
DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
OK, so what happens now?
This test, and the one on July 4, means North Korea is theoretically capable of striking the US mainland.And the world already knows it is a very well-stocked nation when it comes to plutonium.Analysts say North Korea's the nation's missile capabilities have advanced much quicker than anticipated."There's really not a whole lot they have to do other than build more of them," Mr Cotton said."That this is the second test of this missile and it's the second successful test is pretty surprising."Usually when North Korea, or any country, rolls out a new missile system, the first few tests are failures.
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