[Sabertooth]

How did they fire a missile that reached Alaska, without our knowing about it? Something doesn't smell right here.

You may be right. The article, though, mentions "the last piece of a missile warhead." I don't know the trajectory of the NK test shots, but IIRC, they were detonated in the stratosphere. Perhaps one of fragments ended up in Alaska?

[ewing]

NK has missiles that get get that far up in the stratosphere and rain debris down on Alaska?

[spodefly]

Perhaps one of fragments ended up in Alaska?

It may have floated up there with all those Nike tennis shoes.

[longshadow]

I don't know the trajectory of the NK test shots, but IIRC, they were detonated in the stratosphere.

Test launches of ballistic missiles these days are done with dummy warheads (for good reason); if the missile gets away from you and lands on foreign territory with a live warhead, it could start a war. Also, it it failed to detonate, your enemy could pick up your rocket and know exactly what you had for a warhead. None of the N. Korean missile tests launched over Japan have include a live warhead, AFAIK.