Date Information 1976 - 81 North Korea commences its missile development program using Scud - B from the Soviet Union and a launchpad from Egypt. 1984 First Scud - B missile test firing. Operational deployment of Scud - B and Scud - C missiles. First Rodong missile test. 1993 1993 North Korean missile test - (May 29 / 30, 1993) - Nodong 1998 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. 1999 North Korea agrees to a moratorium on long - range missile tests. 2002 North Korea pledges to extend moratorium on missile tests beyond 2003. North Korea reaffirms moratorium. 2005 North Korea fires short - range missile into Sea of Japan. July 5, 2006 2006 North Korean missile test - Taepodong - 2 failed April 5, 2009 Failed orbit of the Kwangmyongsong - 2 satellite aboard an Unha - 2 carrier rocket July 4, 2009 2009 North Korean missile test April 13, 2012 Failed launch of the Kwangmyŏngsŏng - 3 satellite aboard an Unha - 3 carrier rocket December 12, 2012 Successful launch of the Kwangmyŏngsŏng - 3 Unit 2 satellite aboard a three stage rocket May 18 -- 20, 2013 2013 North Korean missile tests (part of 2013 Korean crisis) March 2014 2014 North Korean missile tests including Nodong, success May 2015 North Korea claims to launch a missile from a submarine February 7, 2016 Successful launch of the Kwangmyŏngsŏng - 4 satellite April 2016 Test of engine designed for an intercontinental ballistic missile August 2016 North Korea claims to launch a Pukkuksong - 1 missile capable of striking the United States. The missile is a Submarine - launched ballistic missile. October 15, 2016 Failed North Korean ballistic missile launch - October 19, 2016 Failed launch of an intermediate - range missile February 11, 2017 North Korea test - fired a Pukguksong - 2 missile over the Sea of Japan. This was the first launch of the new medium - range ballistic missile. March 6, 2017 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. April 4, 2017 North Korea test - fired a medium - range ballistic missile from its eastern port of Sinpo into the Sea of Japan April 15, 2017 North Korea test - fired an unidentified land - based missile from the naval base in Sinpo but it exploded almost immediately after the takeoff. April 28, 2017 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. May 13, 2017 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. May 21, 2017 North Korea test - fired another Pukguksong - 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. May 29, 2017 North Korea fired a Short Range Ballistic Missile into the Sea of Japan. It traveled 450 km. June 8, 2017 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. '' June 23, 2017 North Korea tested a new rocket engine that could possibly be fitted to an intercontinental ballistic missile. July 4, 2017 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. July 28, 2017 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. August 26, 2017 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. August 29, 2017 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. September 15, 2017 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.
when did north korea launch the first missile
1984