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US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has called for global action after North Korea tested a newly developed intercontinental ballistic missile, calling it a new escalation of Pyongyang's nuclear threat.
Key points:
- Launch of ICBM would be major milestone for North Korea's missile program
- Tillerson's statement is first confirmation US believes weapon tested was a long-range missile
- US has requested closed-door UN Security Council meeting
In a statement, Mr Tillerson warned any country that hosts North Korean workers, provides economic or military aid to Pyongyang, or failed to implement United Nations sanctions was "aiding and abetting a dangerous regime".
"All nations should publicly demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences to their pursuit of nuclear weapons," Mr Tillerson said.
His statement provided the first confirmation of the US conclusion the missile was an ICBM. It also came as the US requested a closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council about the launch.
In a show of force directly responding to the provocation, US and South Korean soldiers fired "deep strike" precision missiles into South Korean territorial waters, US military officials in Seoul said.
The missile firings demonstrated US-South Korean solidarity, the US Eighth Army said in a statement.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the successful test completed his country's strategic weapons capability that includes atomic and hydrogen bombs and ICBMs, the state news agency KCNA reported.
Mr Kim said Pyongyang would not negotiate with the United States to give up those weapons until Washington abandoned its hostile policy against the North, KCNA said.
"He, with a broad smile on his face, told officials, scientists and technicians that the US would be displeased … as it was given a 'package of gifts' on its 'Independence Day'," KCNA said.
The Pentagon said it was ready to defend the United States and its allies.
"We remain prepared … to use the full range of capabilities at our disposal against the growing threat from North Korea," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said.
"Our commitment to the defence of our allies, the Republic of Korea and Japan, in the face of these threats, remains ironclad."
'High chance' of nuclear test next, South Korea says
South Korea said there was a high possibility of the North conducting a sixth nuclear test in the wake of the ICBM launch.
"North Korea's eventual goal is to weaponise its nuclear power, so I see a high chance that will happen," Defence Minister Han Min-koo told a parliamentary briefing.
The launch of an ICBM would mark a major milestone for North Korea's missile program and would heighten concern in Washington about Pyongyang's declared pursuit of a nuclear-tipped missile that could reach the United States.
US President Donald Trump vowed in January North Korea would never achieve that goal, but experts have cautioned the US state of Alaska may now be within range.
The launch took place days before world leaders at the G20 summit were due to discuss steps to rein in North Korea's weapons program, which it has pursued in defiance of Security Council sanctions.
North Korea's state media said the launch was ordered and supervised by Kim Jong-un and sent the Hwasong-14 933 kilometres, reaching an altitude of 2,802km over a flight time of 39 minutes.
Some analysts said the flight details suggested the new missile had a range of more than 8,000km, which would put significant parts of the US mainland in range, representing major advances in its program.
The US military initially described the missile as an intermediate-range type that travelled for 37 minutes.
Trump voices frustration with China
Mr Trump urged China, North Korea's main trading partner and only big ally, and the current chair of the UN Security Council, to press Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program.
In an apparent reference to Kim Jong-un, Mr Trump tweeted: "Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?"
"Hard to believe South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer," he added.
"Perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"
Mr Trump has indicated he is running out of patience with Beijing's efforts to rein in North Korea.
His administration has said all options are on the table, military included, but suggested those would be a last resort and that sanctions and diplomatic pressure were its preferred course.
While China has responded to previous North Korean tests of suspected ICBM technology by agreeing to tougher UN sanctions, it emphasised on Tuesday its call for a return to talks with North Korea by signing a joint statement with Russia.
Under China's plan, North Korea would suspend its ballistic missile program in return for a moratorium on large-scale military exercises by the United States and South Korea, which Washington and Seoul said were essential to maintain defence readiness.
Mr Trump is due to meet both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G20 in Germany this week.
Japan said on Monday it would have a trilateral summit with the United States and South Korea on North Korea at the G20.
Its prime minister, Shinzo Abe, said he would ask the presidents of China and Russia to play more constructive roles.
Reuters/AP
Topics: defence-and-national-security, defence-forces, security-intelligence, treaties-and-alliances, unrest-conflict-and-war, donald-trump, korea-democratic-people-s-republic-of
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