North Korea said on Monday it had successfully test-fired a new type of medium- to long-range ballistic missile the previous day, claiming advances in a weapons programme it is pursuing in violation of U.N. resolutions.
Kim Jong-Un
Kim Jong-Un surrounded by soldiers as he inspects the test-launch of the ballistic missile. Pics/AFP
Seoul: North Korea said on Monday it had successfully test-fired a new type of medium- to long-range ballistic missile the previous day, claiming advances in a weapons programme it is pursuing in violation of U.N. resolutions.
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North Korea fired the missile on a high arc into the sea early on Sunday. The North's state-run KCNA news agency said leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test of the Pukguksong-2, a new type of strategic weapon capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. It said the missile was launched at a high angle in consideration of the safety of neighbouring countries. The name of the missile translates as northstar or Polaris.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday denounced the test, calling it a "further troubling violation" of UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
"The DPRK leadership must return to full compliance with its international obligations and to the path of denuclearization," Guterres said in a statement.