North Korea Could Have Nuclear ICBM Next Year, South Says<br />28, 2017<br />SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea has been conducting missile engine<br />and fuel tests in recent weeks, with the goal of achieving nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities as early as next year, a senior South Korean official said on Tuesday.<br />Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, South Korea’s lead official on North Korea, also said his government<br />was closely monitoring missile-related activities in North Korea for a possible resumption of tests.<br />" Mr. Cho said at a news conference on Tuesday. that Although the North has not conducted any missile test<br />since Sept. 15, it has continued to engage in missile-related activities, such as engine and fuel tests,<br />South said that We have seen some noteworthy activities recently,<br />but we need more monitoring before being able to tell whether they would lead to an actual missile test or provocation.<br />In its last missile test, on Sept. 15, a North Korean intermediate-range Hwasong-12 ballistic missile flew 2,300 miles east, passing over northern Japan and falling into the Pacific Ocean, demonstrating a range<br />that could reach American military bases in Guam, a key launching pad for American forces should war break out on the Korean Peninsula.<br />" Mr. Cho said on Tuesday. that They still need to clear technical hurdles in long-range missile technologies, including the re-entry know-how,
