North Korea ready to test intercontinental missile

Regime fired a test missile into the sea between Korea and Japan

North Korea has fired a ballistic missile in the first such test since Donald Trump took office as US president.

The missile fell in seas between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, South Korean officials said.

Kim Jong-un said in his New Year’s address that the country has reached the final stages of readiness to test an ICBM, which would be a major step forward in its efforts to build a credible nuclear threat to the United States.

There was no immediate confirma- tion from the North, which had recently warned it is ready to test its first intercontinental ballistic missile.

Mr Trump assured Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that “America stands behind Japan, its great ally, 100%”.

Mr Abe said the test was “absolutely intolerable”. Japanese officials say the missile did not reach its waters.

In a ballroom at Mr Trump’s south Florida estate, Mr Abe read a brief statement in which he called on North Korea to comply fully with relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

South Korea said the test launch, along with leader Kim Jong Un’s threat to fire an intercontinental ballistic missile in his New Year’s address, shows the “irrational nature” of a government that “fanatically” obsesses with developing nuclear ballistic missiles.

South’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the launch as a “blatant and obvious” violation of UN Security Council resolutions and a “serious threat” to international security.

The ministry says that the South will continue to work with allies including the US, Japan and the European Union to ensure a thorough implementation of sanctions against the North.

US Strategic Command said it had detected and tracked what it assessed was a medium- or intermediate-range ballistic missile.

Though Pyongyang has been relatively quiet about the transfer of power to the Trump administration, its state media has repeatedly called for Washington to abandon its “hostile policy” and vowed to continue its nuclear and missile development programmes until the US changes its diplomatic approach.

Just days ago, it also reaffirmed its plan to conduct more space launches, which it staunchly defends, but which have been criticised because they involve dual-use technology that can be transferred to improve missiles.

Pictures: AP. US Strategic Command tracked the missile launched by the secretive regime led by Kim Jong-Un.