What Does North Korea's Recent Missile Launch Mean?

North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Thursday, which flew for 86 minutes, setting a record for ICBM flight time and reaching over 1,000 km before landing near the east coast. Japan noted it reached an altitude of over 7,000 km, the highest ever recorded. Just days before the U.S. presidential election, this launch was done allegedly to garner the attention of Washington State and Republican candidate Donald Trump. It further reflects worsening inter-Korean relations and Pyongyang's aggressive stance after combined military exercises flying a bomber by the U.S.A., Japan, and South Korea.