North Korea has continued its threats to the West after unveiling what it called “the world’s strongest missile.”
A test launch on Thursday saw the new weapon fly higher and stay in the air longer than any other missile produced by Pyongyang.
This means North Korea’s new weapon can reportedly hit the US if fired.
North Korean state media also branded the Hwasong-19 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) “the perfected weapon system.”
Dictator Kim Jong-un said the launch was “an appropriate military action” to show North Korea’s enemies its capabilities.
Kim also thanks the scientists behind the weapon for helping display Pyongyang’s “matchless strategic nuclear attack capability.”
He then warned that he will continue to build North Korea’s nuclear weapons.
Kim added: “I affirm that the DPRK [North Korea] will never change its line of bolstering up its nuclear forces.”
On Thursday, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and his South Korean counterpart Kim Yong-hyun condemned North Korea after Pyongyang sent 11,000 of its troops to Ukraine to help Russia in the war.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned these soldiers will soon enter combat.
He said: “We’ve not yet seen these troops deploy into combat against Ukrainian forces, but we would expect that to happen in the coming days.”
Robert Wood, US envoy to the UN, warned this week: “Should DPRK’s troops enter Ukraine in support of Russia, they will surely return in body bags. So I would advise Chairman Kim to think twice about engaging in such reckless and dangerous behaviour.”
According to reports, the North Korean troops in Ukraine will be commanded by a general who has direct communications with Kim.
General Kim Yong Bok, the deputy head of the North Korean army, is reportedly in Ukraine to oversee the soldiers.