13 July 2023 , 15:03
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Dictator Kim Jong-un has made audacious new claims about his country's nuclear weapons as he tested their "most powerful weapon yet".
North Korea's state media has reported the leader supervised the second test flight for the weapons, which are designed to strike the United States.
A statement issued by the leader hinted at the country ramping up its weapon testing off the back of recent "hostile" moves by the US to enhance its security commitment to ally, South Korea.
"The present unstable situation in which the security environment on the Korean peninsula is being seriously threatened by the hostile forces every moment," Mr Kim said, according to state media.
"(That) requires more intense efforts to implement the line of bolstering nuclear war deterrent."
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His comments, reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), came a day after the Hwasong-18 was launched a second time since its first test in April. The dictator has called it the "most powerful weapon" in his nuclear arsenal.
The Hwasong-18 spent more than 70 minutes in the air after it was launched in one of North Korea's most aggressive boasts yet (AP)The intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) has a built-in solid propellant, making it more difficult to detect than liquid-fuelled missiles, AP reports.
If launched in the right position, the weapon could potentially fly across the Pacific to reach the US west coast, although weapons experts say there is still technology to master if they were to achieve this.
According to the KCNA, the missile was launched into the air to avoid neighbouring countries and spent 74 minutes in the air - the longest time of any weapon launched in the country - travelling 622 miles, before landing in a targeted area off North Korea's east coast.
A meeting by the UN Security Council was scheduled for Friday afternoon to discuss the launch at the request of the United States, UK, Albania, France, Japan and Malta.
KCNA meanwhile says the launch was meant to reconfirm the technical credibility and operational reliability of the missile.
If launched correctly, Kim Jong-un believes the missile could reach US mainland (AP)South Korea, Japan and the United States have criticised North Korea over the launch, saying it posed a genuine threat to regional and international peace.
Adam Hodge, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council, said in a statement that the US will take all necessary steps to ensure the security of the American homeland and South Korean and Japanese allies.
Mr Kim said North Korea will take "a series of stronger military offensive" until the US and South Korea "admit their shameful defeat of their useless hostile policy toward (North Korea) in despair and give up their policy".
That signals Mr Kim will intensify his push to modernise his missile arsenals with sophisticated weapons like the Hwasong-18.
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Other weapons on Mr Kim's publicly stated wish list are a multi-warhead missile, a hypersonic weapon, a spy satellite and a nuclear-powered submarine.
North Korea has been focusing on reinforcing its nuclear capability after Mr Kim's high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with then-US president Donald Trump collapsed in 2019 due to disputes over US-led sanctions on North Korea.
Kim Jong-un watched on as the missile was tested on Wednesday (AP)KCNA accused the US and South Korea of recently taking "frantic confrontation attempts" and bringing "a new chain of nuclear crises" to the Korean Peninsula. North Korea is known to issue such harsh, warlike rhetoric in times of tensions with its rivals.
The KCNA dispatch cited a US-South Korean agreement to strengthen the allies' deterrence capabilities such as the periodic docking of a US nuclear-armed submarine in South Korea and the establishment of a new bilateral nuclear consultative group, whose inaugural meeting is slated for next week in Seoul.
The United States has expanded military drills with South Korea and taken steps to enhance "regular visibility" of US strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula in response to the North's advancing nuclear arsenal.
North Korea has conducted about 100 missile tests since the start of 2022.
Experts say Mr Kim eventually aims to use his enlarged arsenal to win greater concessions in future diplomacy with the United States.
Wednesday's ICBM launch came two days after Mr Kim's sister and senior adviser, Kim Yo Jong, threatened "shocking" consequences to protest over what she called provocative United States reconnaissance activity near its territory.
The US and South Korean governments dismissed the North's accusation as groundless and urged it to refrain from escalatory actions.