North Korea says it has 7 nuclear missiles that can hit the US

Alex Lockie

North Korea’s military parade showed off seven ICBMs that can carry nuclear weapons to the continental US.

North Korea has made brisk progress in producing missiles that pose a threat to the US, though the missiles it used may have been props.

But props or not, North Korea has broadcast loud and clear that it now has many missiles that can strike the US.

North Korea’s military parade on Thursday rolled out seven intercontinental ballistic missiles that experts assess can strike the US — and it’s more than the country has ever shown before.

• Before the crowd in Pyongyang, where below freezing temperatures reddened the spectators’ faces, North Korea put on its usual display of military might with rows of troops and tanks, but also showed off two new inventions: the Hwasong-14 and the Hwasong-15.

The missiles were both tested in 2017 and have demonstrated they have the range to strike the US mainland. North Korea has used both missiles to threaten US citizens.

The Hwasong-14, a smaller missile, was first tested on July 4, 2017 to the surprise of North Korea experts, some of whom thought that an ICBM capability would continue to elude North Korea for years. North Korea tested it again on July 28, when it flew over 2,300 miles above the Earth before crashing down 620 miles away in the Sea of Japan.

Experts assessed that even though the missile fit the definition of an ICBM by flying more than 5,500 kilometers, it still probably couldn’t haul a heavy nuclear warhead to important US cities like Washington DC or New York City.