According to its neighbors' militaries, North Korea conducted a suspected long-range missile test Thursday. The launch, which extended North Korea's barrage of weapons tests this year, came after the US and South Korean militaries announced that the country was preparing to launch its most giant intercontinental ballistic missile.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea did not immediately confirm whether the weapon used in the launch was ballistic or how far it traveled. However, Japan's Vice Defense Minister Makoto Oniki indicated that the missile, which reached a maximum altitude of 6,000 kilometers (3,728 miles), could be a new intercontinental ballistic missile.

Japan's coast guard, which warned nearby vessels about the possibility of falling objects, said the missile flew for approximately an hour before landing in waters outside the country's exclusive economic zone.

North Korea's 12th round of missile launches this year, following its Sunday firing of suspected artillery pieces into the sea. According to experts, the North's unusually rapid testing pace demonstrates its dual objective of advancing its weaponry and applying pressure on Washington over a deepening freeze in nuclear negotiations.

Additionally, the North has conducted tests of a variety of new missiles, including a purported hypersonic weapon and its first launch of an intermediate-range rocket since 2017, which is capable of reaching Guam, a critical US military outpost in the Pacific.

It also conducted two medium-range tests in recent weeks from Sunan, the location of the country's main airport, which the US and South Korean militaries later concluded as active components of the North's most giant intercontinental ballistic missile. Allies then stated that the rocket, which the North refers to as Hwasong-17, could be tested at full range shortly.

These tests come on the heels of another Sunan launch last week, which the South Korean military declared a failure, stating that the missile most likely exploded shortly after liftoff. The explosion's circumstances remain unknown, as does the possibility of civilian injury.

According to North Korea's official media, the two successful tests were aimed at developing cameras and other systems for a spy satellite. According to analysts, the North is attempting to resume ICBM testing while simultaneously acquiring some level of space-based reconnaissance capability under a space launch to mitigate international reaction to those moves.

The launch could coincide with a significant political anniversary in April, the birthday of state founder Kim Il Sung, current leader Kim Jong Un's late grandfather.

During three flight tests in 2017, the North's previous ICBMs demonstrated the capability to reach the American homeland. Experts say that its development of the larger Hwasong-17, first revealed in an October 2020 military parade, may indicate a desire to arm it with multiple warheads to overwhelm missile defenses.

North Korea's barrage of weapons tests this year, which coincides with a protracted diplomatic impasse, reflects a determination to consolidate its status as a nuclear state and extract desperately needed economic concessions from Washington and other adversaries from a position of strength, analysts say.