North Korea’s Kim hints at long-range missile test

NORTH KOREAN leader Kim Jong Un hinted Sunday that Pyongyang may ring in the new year with another bang — the testlaunch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

In his New Year’s address, Kim said that preparations for launching an intercontinental ballistic missile have “reached the final stage’’

Kim did not explicitly say an ICBM test was imminent. But his birthday is coming up on January 8, and last year Pyongyang conductedanucleartestonjanuary6.

Kim threatened in the address to boost his country’s military capabilities further unless the US ends “war games” with South Korea. But he also said efforts must be made to defuse the possibility of another Korean war and stressed the importance of building the economy under a fiveyear plan announced in May.

“The political and military position of socialism should be further cemented as an invincible fortress,’’kimsaid,accordingtoan outline of the speech carried by the North Korea’s official Korean Centralnewsagency.“weshould resolutely smash the enemies’ despicable and vicious moves to dampen the pure and ardent desireofthepeopleforthepartyand estrange the people from it.’’

South Korea’s Unification Ministry said in a statement that it “strongly condemns’’ Kim’s threat to proceed with a test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. It said the international community will not tolerate North Korean efforts to develop nuclear weapons, and that it will only face tougher sanctions and pressure if it continues to go down that path. AP