North Korea may have ballistic missile capable of reaching US this year, says South

No sign of an imminent nuclear test had been detected, though the North’s Punggye-ri complex appears ready for another detonation at any time, South Korea’s spy agency said.

South Korea’s spy agency said on Monday it is possible North Korea can develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the US mainland this year and that it is monitoring developments closely.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches the launch of a Hwasong-12 missile in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on September 16, 2017. (Reuters file)

No sign of an imminent nuclear test had been detected, though the North’s Punggye-ri complex appears ready for another detonation “at any time”, the agency told lawmakers.

North Korea, pursuing nuclear and missile programmes in defiance of world condemnation, is also enforcing stronger controls on outside information in the face of international sanctions, the lawmakers said after a closed-door briefing.