SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea has carried out an engine ignition test for a long-range missile capable of striking the Western United States, a South Korean newspaper reported today.
A U.S. reconnaissance satellite detected the North testing the engine of what appears to be a Taepodong-2 missile — or an upgraded version of it — at a west coast missile base it began building several years ago, Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported, quoting an unnamed South Korean government official.
The test took place this year, the report said, without providing a date.
It would be a key step in development and would confirm that the North has been working to boost the range of its missiles.
Officials with the U.S. military and U.S. Embassy in Seoul were not immediately available to confirm the report.
