North Korea missiles could reach US, says South

This month's rocket launch by reclusive North Korea shows it has likely developed the technology to fire a warhead more than 6,200 miles, South Korean officials said on Sunday - putting the U.S. West Coast in range.

North Korea said the December 12 launch put a weather satellite in orbit but critics say it was aimed at nurturing the kind of technology needed to mount a nuclear warhead on a long-range missile.

North Korea is banned from testing missile or nuclear technology under U.N. sanctions imposed after its 2006 and 2009 nuclear weapons tests and the U.N. Security Council condemned the launch.

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