By Yi Whan-woo

North Korea launched its Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) during the pre-dawn, Wednesday, in an apparent bid to avoid being detected by U.S. and South Korean intelligence, according to military sources.

However, the allies' surveillance assets immediately detected the launch.

The timing of the ICBM launch, which took place at 3:17 a.m. near Pyongsong, South Pyongan Province, is also believed to be aimed at exhausting the two allies' intelligence officials by keeping them on the lookout at all times for North Korea's provocations.

This is the first time the secretive state launched a ballistic missile before dawn.

"North Korea may have deemed dawn the optimal time to avoid being detected and being shot down by U.S. anti-ballistic missile systems," a source said.

Kim Dong-yup, a professor at the Institute for Far East Studies of Kyungnam University, said, "Pyongyang appears to be trying to surprise the allies to the maximum level by showing it is capable of carrying out a launch regardless of time."

The Kim Jong-un regime, however, appears to have failed in its goal, as President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump each received reports about the launch while the ICBM's 53-minute flight was still underway.

Moon received information from National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong two minutes after the launch and convened an emergency National Security Council meeting after, according to Cheong Wa Dae.

Reuters said Trump was briefed on the missile while it was still in flight.

North Korea varied the timing of its four previous test launches. It tested a Hwasong-14 ICBM at 9:40 a.m. on July 4, another Hwasong-14 at 11:41 p.m. on July 28, a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile at 5:27 a.m. on Aug. 29 and another Hwasong-12 at 6:57 a.m. on Sept. 15.

The test site has also have been changed frequently. The July 4 test took place from Panghyon, North Pyongan Province, the July 28 test in Chagang Province and the Aug. 29 and Sept. 15 tests from Sunan airfield in Pyongyang.

N. Korea's new ICBM can hit any target in US 2017-11-29 21:34  |  North Korea