<P> There have been a number of North Korean missile tests . North Korea has also fired a number of short - range missiles into the Sea of Japan (East Sea of Korea), in what have been interpreted as political gestures . </P> <P> As of 30 November 2017, North Korea has carried out some 117 tests of strategic missiles since its first such test in 1984 . 15 were carried out under the rule of Kim Il - sung and 16 under Kim Jong - il . Under Kim Jong - un, more than 80 tests have been undertaken . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Date </Th> <Th> Information </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1976 - 81 </Td> <Td> North Korea commences its missile development program using Scud - B from the Soviet Union and a launchpad from Egypt . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1984 </Td> <Td> First Scud - B missile test firing . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Operational deployment of Scud - B and Scud - C missiles . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> First Rodong missile test . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1993 </Td> <Td> 1993 North Korean missile test - (May 29 / 30, 1993) - Nodong </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1998 </Td> <Td> North Korea fires off its first ballistic missile, the Unha - 1 rocket, also known as the Taepodong - 1 missile, from the launch site of Musudan - ri in North Hamgyong Province . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1999 </Td> <Td> North Korea agrees to a moratorium on long - range missile tests . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2002 </Td> <Td> North Korea pledges to extend moratorium on missile tests beyond 2003 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> North Korea reaffirms moratorium . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 2005 </Td> <Td> North Korea fires short - range missile into Sea of Japan . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> July 5, 2006 </Td> <Td> 2006 North Korean missile test - Taepodong - 2 failed </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> April 5, 2009 </Td> <Td> Failed orbit of the Kwangmyongsong - 2 satellite aboard an Unha - 2 carrier rocket </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> July 4, 2009 </Td> <Td> 2009 North Korean missile test </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> April 13, 2012 </Td> <Td> Failed launch of the Kwangmyŏngsŏng - 3 satellite aboard an Unha - 3 carrier rocket </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> December 12, 2012 </Td> <Td> Successful launch of the Kwangmyŏngsŏng - 3 Unit 2 satellite aboard a three stage rocket </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> May 18--20, 2013 </Td> <Td> 2013 North Korean missile tests (part of 2013 Korean crisis) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> March 2014 </Td> <Td> 2014 North Korean missile tests including Nodong, success </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002015 - 05 - 09 - 0000 May 9, 2015 </Td> <Td> North Korea claims to launch a missile from a submarine </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002016 - 02 - 07 - 0000 February 7, 2016 </Td> <Td> Successful launch of the Kwangmyŏngsŏng - 4 satellite </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002016 - 04 - 09 - 0000 April 9, 2016 </Td> <Td> Test of engine designed for an intercontinental ballistic missile </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002016 - 08 - 24 - 0000 August 24, 2016 </Td> <Td> North Korea claims to launch a Pukkuksong - 1 missile capable of striking the United States . The missile is a Submarine - launched ballistic missile . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002016 - 10 - 15 - 0000 October 15, 2016 </Td> <Td> Failed North Korean ballistic missile launch - </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002016 - 10 - 19 - 0000 October 19, 2016 </Td> <Td> Failed launch of an intermediate - range missile </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002017 - 02 - 11 - 0000 February 11, 2017 </Td> <Td> North Korea test - fired a Pukkuksong - 2 missile over the Sea of Japan . This was the first launch of the new medium - range ballistic missile . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002017 - 03 - 06 - 0000 March 6, 2017 </Td> <Td> North Korea launches four ballistic missiles from the Tongchang - ri launch site in the northwest . Some flew 620 mi (1,000 km) before falling into the Sea of Japan . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002017 - 04 - 04 - 0000 April 4, 2017 </Td> <Td> North Korea test - fired a medium - range ballistic missile from its eastern port of Sinpo into the Sea of Japan </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002017 - 04 - 15 - 0000 April 15, 2017 </Td> <Td> North Korea test - fired an unidentified land - based missile from the naval base in Sinpo but it exploded almost immediately after the takeoff . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002017 - 04 - 28 - 0000 April 28, 2017 </Td> <Td> North Korea test - fired an unidentified missile from Pukchang airfield . Missile, believed to be a medium - range KN - 17 ballistic missile, falters and breaks apart minutes after liftoff . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002017 - 05 - 13 - 0000 May 13, 2017 </Td> <Td> North Korea test - fired a Hwasong - 12 missile from a test site in the area of Kusong . The missile, later revealed to be an intermediate range ballistic missile, traveled 30 minutes, reached an altitude of more than 2,111.5 km, and flew a horizontal distance of 789 km (489 miles), before falling into the Sea of Japan . Such a missile would have a range of at least 4,000, reaching Guam, to 6,000 km . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002017 - 05 - 21 - 0000 May 21, 2017 </Td> <Td> North Korea test - fired another Pukkuksong - 2 medium - range ballistic missile from Pukchang airfield, which traveled approximately 300 miles before falling into the Sea of Japan . The missile landed about 217 miles from North Korea's east coast . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002017 - 05 - 29 - 0000 May 29, 2017 </Td> <Td> North Korea fired a Short Range Ballistic Missile into the Sea of Japan . It traveled 450 km . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002017 - 06 - 08 - 0000 June 8, 2017 </Td> <Td> North Korea fired several missiles into the Sea of Japan . They are believed to be anti-ship missiles . The South Korean military said the launches show the reclusive regime's "precise targeting capability ." </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002017 - 06 - 23 - 0000 June 23, 2017 </Td> <Td> North Korea tested a new rocket engine that could possibly be fitted to an intercontinental ballistic missile . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002017 - 07 - 04 - 0000 July 4, 2017 </Td> <Td> North Korea tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) named Hwasong - 14 on July 4 . It launched from the Panghyon Aircraft Factory 8 km southeast of Panghyon Airport . It was aimed straight up at a lofted trajectory and reached more than 2,500 km into space . It landed 37 minutes later, more than 930 km from its launch site, into Japan's exclusive economic zone . Aiming long, the missile would have traveled 7,000 - 8,000 km or more, reaching Alaska, Hawaii, and maybe Seattle . Its operational range would be farther, bringing a 500 kg payload to targets in most of the contiguous United States 9,700 km away . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002017 - 07 - 28 - 0000 July 28, 2017 </Td> <Td> The 14th missile test carried out by North Korea in 2017 was another ICBM launched at 23: 41 North Korea time (15: 41 GMT) from Chagang Province in the north of the country on July 28, 2017 . Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, Boston, and New York appear to be within range . The missile's reentry vehicle (RV) was seen by people in Japan as it entered the atmosphere and landed near the northernmost Japanese island, Hokkaido . Analysis later revealed that the RV broke up on re-entry; further testing would be required . The CIA made an assessment expecting adequate performance of the RV under the different stresses of a shallower trajectory towards the continental US . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002017 - 08 - 26 - 0000 August 26, 2017 </Td> <Td> North Korea test fires three short range ballistic missiles from the Kangwon province on August 26 . Two travel approximately 250 kilometers in a northeastern direction and one explodes immediately after launch . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002017 - 08 - 29 - 0000 August 29, 2017 </Td> <Td> On August 29, 2017, at 6 AM local time, North Korea launched a ballistic missile over Northern Japan . The missile's short and low trajectory and its breakup into three pieces is consistent with the failure of a heavy post-boost vehicle . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002017 - 09 - 15 - 0000 September 15, 2017 </Td> <Td> North Korea launched a ballistic missile on September 15 from Sunan airfield . It reached a height of 770 km and flew a distance of 3,700 km for 17 minutes over Hokkaido before landing in the Pacific . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 000000002017 - 11 - 28 - 0000 November 28, 2017 </Td> <Td> North Korea launched an ICBM from the vicinity of Pyongsong at 1: 30pm EST / 3: 00am Pyongyang time . The rocket traveled for 50 minutes and reached 2800 miles (4,500 km) in height, both of which were new milestones . The missile flew 600 miles (1,000 km) east into the Sea of Japan; unlike summer launches, the Japanese government did not issue cellphone alerts to warn its citizens . North Korea called it a Hwasong - 15 missile . Its potential range appears to be more than 8,000 miles (13,000 km), able to reach Washington and the rest of the continental United States . Much about the missile is unknown . The missile might have been fitted with a mock warhead to increase its range, in which case the maximum missile range while carrying a heavy warhead might be shorter than 13,000 km . Based on satellite imagery, some experts believe that North Korea may now be able to fuel missiles horizontally, shortening the delay between when a missile becomes visible to when it can be launched . The rocket is believed to have broken up on re-entry into the atmosphere . </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Date </Th> <Th> Information </Th> </Tr>

When did north korea first launch a missile