North Korea says will become 'most powerful' nuclear and military state

In a challenge to the global order, North Korea has issued a threat that it will become "world's most powerful nuclear and military state".

Pyongyang's assertion of ambitions to global supremacy came on Friday after Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the Security Council, "The situation on the Korean Peninsula is the most tense and dangerous peace and security issue in the world today."

Pyongyang "will march forward and make great advancement victoriously as world's most powerful nuclear and military state upholding the line on simultaneous development of the Two Fronts," North Korea's Permanent Representative Ja Song-nam told the Security Council during a session on the threat from his country's nuclear and missile programmes.

The mention of "Two Fronts" is a reference to North Korea's theory of simultaneously developing its military capabilities, as well as its economy, which are both vulnerable to international sanctions.

With the characteristic bombast of his country's rhetoric, Ja dismissed the Council as "tool" of the US, which he said is "terrified by the incredible might of our republic".

He described the latest North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile test on November 29 as the "Great November Event" leading to "completing the state nuclear force" and "building a rocket power".
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N Korea fires most powerful missile toward Japan; can handle it, says Trump

North Korea on Wednesday fired a ballistic missile that landed into the Sea of Japan, the media reported citing officials.

The missile, believed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by the Pentagon based on initial assessments, was launched from Sain Ni, North Korea and flew roughly around 1,000 km before landing in the Sea of Japan, Fox News reported.

The missile flew east for about 53 minutes before landing off the north of Honshu, Japan's largest island, the New York Times reported.

The missile was fired high into the air, reaching a maximum altitude of over 4,500 km, in an arc similar to the North's two previous intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs, which were launched in July.

The distance travelled appeared to be significantly greater than that of the two previous ICBMs, which flew for 37 minutes on July 4 and for 47 minutes on July 28.

David Wright, a senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the missile performed better than the two fired in July, with a potential range of more than 12,000 km, able to reach Washington or any other part of the continental US.

"It's pretty impressive," Wright said of the test flight. "This is building on what they've done before. It's muscle-flexing to show the US that they're going to continue to make progress."
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North Korean ballistic missile lands in the Sea of Japan: US

North Korea has fired an intercontinental ballistic missile which flew about 1,000 km before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, the US said on Wednesday.

This is the first such launch in two months which comes just a week after the US slapped fresh sanctions on the reclusive nation and declared it a state sponsor of terrorism.

The US Department of Defence detected and tracked a North Korean missile launch today at about 1:17 pm EDT. Initial assessment indicates that this missile was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), Pentagon Spokesman Col Rob Manning said in a statement.

"The missile was launched from Sain Ni, North Korea, and travelled about 1000 km before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, within Japan's Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ)," Manning said, adding that the Pentagon is working with its interagency partners on a more detailed assessment of the launch.

He, however, said that the missile launch did not pose any threat to the US or its allies.

"The North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America, our territories or our allies," Manning said.
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N Korea aggressively developing ballistic missile submarine: Report

Satellite images taken this month of a North Korean naval shipyard indicate Pyongyang is pursuing an "aggressive schedule" to build its first operational ballistic missile submarine, a U.S. institute reported on Thursday.

Washington-based 38 North, a North Korea monitoring project, cited images taken on Nov. 5 showing activity at North Korea's Sinpo South Shipyard.

"The presence of what appear to be sections of a submarine's pressure hull in the yards suggests construction of a new submarine, possibly the SINPO-C ballistic missile submarine - the follow-on to the current SINPO-class experimental ballistic missile submarine," 38 North said in a report.

The report said that throughout 2017 there had been continued movement of parts and components into and out of two parts yards adjacent to the constructions halls in the center of the shipyard.

It said the Nov. 5 images showed two large circular objects that could be sections of a submarine's pressure hull. It said these appeared larger than those for North Korea's ROMEO-class attack submarine.

Images of a test stand indicated continued testing of a mechanism for ejection launch of missiles from a submarine.
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UN has 'exhausted' its options on North Korea nuclear crisis: Nikki Haley

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley warned that the world body has "exhausted" its options on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

"We have pretty much exhausted all the things that we can do at the Security Council at this point," Haley on Sunday said in an interview with the CNN.

"None of us want war," she said, adding that if diplomacy fails on the nuclear issue, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis "will take care of it", Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, the US and South Korea have agreed to increase pressure on North Korea after its latest missile test, the White House said on Sunday.

US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in spoke on Saturday by phone and committed to "continuing to take steps to strengthen deterrence and defence capabilities and to maximize economic and diplomatic pressure" on North Korea, according to a White House statement.
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China, Russia condemn nuke test, agree to 'appropriately deal' with N Korea

China and Russia have united against North Korea after it has successfully conducted a test of a hydrogen bomb on Sunday, which is meant to be loaded into an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The Presidents of China and Russia came to an agreement on appropriately dealing with North Korea's sixth and most powerful nuclear test, the Xinhua News agency reported.

The agreement came as Chinese President Xi Jinping met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Sunday night in Xiamen, Fujian province, ahead of Monday's Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) summit.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement, expressing firm opposition to and strong condemnation of the nuclear test.

Both leaders have agreed to stick to the goal of de-nuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula and keep close communication and coordination to deal with the new situation.

Earlier, India also deplored the nuclear test conducted by North Korea and called Pyongyang to refrain from such actions which adversely impact peace and stability in the region and beyond.

In a statement, India expressed concern over the nuclear test and said, "Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has once again acted in violation of its international commitments."
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North Korea missile crisis: 5.1 magnitude tremor sparks nuclear test fears

North Korea appears to have conducted a sixth nuclear test, the South's Yonhap News Agency said today citing military officials, just hours after Pyongyang claimed to have developed a hydrogen bomb that could be loaded into a long-range missile.

USGS recorded what they described as a shallow 5.1- magnitude "mining explosion"  24 kilometres east northeast of Sungjibaegam in North Korea, in an updated report.

An artificial quake was detected at 12:36 pm (local time) in areas in the North Hamgyeong Province, the Korea Meteorological Administration told AFP.
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N Korea claims it has 'advanced hydrogen bomb' as Trump, Abe discuss crisis

North Korea said on Sunday it has developed an advanced hydrogen bomb that possesses “great destructive power” as U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe talked by phone about the “escalating” nuclear crisis.

The report by North Korea’s official KCNA news agency comes amid heightened regional tension following Pyongyang’s two tests of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) in July that potentially could fly about 10,000 km (6,200 miles), putting many parts of the mainland United States within range.

Under third-generation leader Kim Jong Un, North Korea has been pursuing a nuclear device small and light enough to fit on a long-range ballistic missile, without affecting its range and making it capable of surviving re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

North Korea, which carries out its nuclear and missile programs in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions and sanctions, “recently succeeded” in making a more advanced hydrogen bomb that will be loaded on to an ICBM, KCNA said.
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Here's why US could consider shooting down N-Korea's future test launches

North Korea's firing of a ballistic missile over Japan could increase pressure on Washington to consider shooting down future test launches, although there is no guarantee of success and U.S. officials are wary of a dangerous escalation with Pyongyang.

More attention is likely to focus on the prospects for intercepting a missile in flight after North Korea on Tuesday conducted one of its boldest missile tests in years, one government official said.

Such a decision would not be taken lightly given tensions over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

And while President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed that "all options are on the table", there has been no sign of any quick policy shift in Washington toward direct U.S. military action.

But Pyongyang's launch of an intermediate-range Hwasong-12 missile over Japan's northern Hokkaido island underscored how Trump's tough rhetoric, pursuit of sanctions and occasional shows of military force around the Korean peninsula have done little to deter North Korea's leader.

"Kim Jong Un has chosen to thumb his nose at the Americans and Japanese by conducting this test," said David Shear, former U.S. assistant secretary of defense for East Asia.
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