November 30, 2017 5:00 AM

Late 1970s: North Korea starts working on a version of the Soviet Scud-B, with a range of around 300km. 1980s-1990s:It carries out its first missile test in 1984, and begins developing longer-range missiles, including the Taepodong-1 (2,500km) and Taepodong-2 (6,700km), between 1987 and 1992. It tests the Taepodong-1 over Japan in 1998. 2006: First nuclear test. 2009: Second underground nuclear test. 2013: Third nuclear test. 2016: Pyongyang conducts two nuclear tests, the first of which is purportedly of a hydrogen bomb. It also test-fires a submarine-launched ballistic missile. On Aug 3, it fires, for the first time, a ballistic missile directly into Japanese-controlled waters. 2017: Tensions escalate.

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