INTERNATIONAL LEADERS HAVE roundly condemned a North Korean missile launch which took place today.

The intercontinental ballistic missile flew over the country and landed in its eastern waters, Japan and South Korea said.

It was in the are for over 80 minutes, according to the two US allied-countries, making it the longest recorded flight ever by a North Korean missile.

Washington, Tokyo and Seoul have condemned the launch, with a joint statement urging the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to “cease its series of provocative and destabilising actions”.

The allied foreign ministers, along with the European Commissioner for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, have called on Pyongyang to stop the launches – an act that breaches a UN resolution which outlaws the testing of missiles by North Korea.

In a separate statement, Borell said: “The DPRK must comply immediately with its obligations under UNSCRs by abandoning all its nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass destruction, ballistic missile programmes and existing nuclear programmes, in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner and cease all related activities.”

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un responded to the condemnation in a chilling address, claiming his country will “never change its line of bolstering up its nuclear forces”.

He said on state-run media that the launch was “appropriate military action” and evidence of his army’s “will to respond to our enemies”.

Today’s launch comes as tensions between the DPRK and the international community escalated following confirmation that its soldiers were deployed to Russia to assist with its invasion of Ukraine this month.

It has been largely accepted that North Korea were assisting in arming Russia, which has sought to invade provinces of Ukraine over the last two years. Intel that DPRK soldiers had been sent to Russia, and could be deployed, was made public this month.

Nato, the US and Ukrainian military intelligence officials have said they are aware that DPRK troops are on the ground in Kursk, a region of Russia which has come under Ukraine’s control since its last offensive. 

Speaking at a press conference following the missile launch this evening, South Korean Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun – who was one of the first politicians to alert the West of North Korean troops in Russia – said the DPRK has supplied the Federation with more than 1,000 missiles.

He told reporters in Washington that millions of munitions pieces have also been sent.

Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles are explosive missiles with a range of over 5,000 kilometres. They are mostly designed to be used with nuclear warheads.

- Includes reporting by © AFP 2024