This week's rare North Korean test flight, which sent a missile soaring over Japan, underscored the nuclear-armed state's rapidly advancing arsenal amid stalled denuclearisation talks.
Tuesday's ballistic missile was the 39th launched by North Korea this year. Its record schedule began in January with the launch of a new "hypersonic missile," and went on to include long-range cruise missiles; short-range ballistic missiles fired from rail cars, airports, and a submarine; and its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches since 2017.
