Updated July 04, 2017 18:54:03

North Korea claims it has launched its first ever intercontinental ballistic missile.

An announcement on North Korean state television claimed the missile was capable of hitting "anywhere in the world".

Let's have a look at how that claim stacks up.

What we know about the test

North Korea claims it fired a Hwasong-14 missile which reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometres and flew 933km in 39 minutes.

David Wright, co-director of the Global Security Program at the US-based Union of Concerned Scientists, said the missile was fired at a "very highly lofted trajectory".

If the missile had been fired at a standard trajectory, he said it could have a maximum range of 6,700km.

So does this latest test put the United States in range?

According to Mr Wright, yes.

It is not quite enough to reach New York or Washington, but he said Alaska would be within reach.

"That range would not be enough to reach the lower 48 states or the large islands of Hawaii, but would allow it to reach all of Alaska," he said.

If North Korea's claims are to be believed, US bases in the Pacific could also be within reach.

What about Australia?

After a failed test back in April, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop ramped up her warnings to North Korea.

Here's what she said about the prospect of a North Korean ICBM being developed:

"[North Korea] is on a path to achieving nuclear weapons capability and we believe Kim Jong-un has a clear ambition to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear payload as far as the US," she said.

"That would mean Australia would be in reach."

What does it mean for closer neighbours like Japan and South Korea?

They're already in plenty of danger.

North Korea already has vast artillery capabilities pointed at South Korea's capital, Seoul.

And experts say it's developed short and medium-range missiles capable of striking the south and west of Japan.

An ICBM isn't necessary for North Korea to cause serious harm in the region and force the international community to act.

Photo: North Korea conducts its "largest-ever" live-fire drill of self-propelled artillery guns demonstrating their fire power at an event on the east coast this year. (Yonhap News Agency)

What happens now?

The ABC's North Asia correspondent Matthew Carney writes the first challenge is to verify North Korea's claim of a successful launch.

If North Korea really has developed an ICBM, he says it's a game-changer that will force President Donald Trump to act.

Reuters/ABC

Topics: government-and-politics, world-politics, korea-democratic-people-s-republic-of

First posted July 04, 2017 18:45:03