The United States military is closely monitoring activity out of North Korea that indicates a possible ballistic missile test on Friday. According to reports in South Korea, two missiles have already been placed on mobile launchers.

Earlier on Thursday, South Korean media reported North Korea may be preparing to test-launch a new, upgraded prototype of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The devices “are estimated to not exceed 15 meters (50 feet) in length, making them shorter than the North’s existing ICBMs.”



According to Andrei Lankov, professor at Kookmin University in Seoul, an ICBM test in the coming days is “highly plausible" and "judging by earlier behavior, they usually like to greet a newly elected American president with some kind of nice surprise like a nuclear (test) or missile launch."