North Korea claimed that it test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile known called Hwasong-17 on Thursday, reported the state news agency KCNA.

The missile, whose test-firing was reported earlier by the South Korean government, was fired amid "provocative and aggressive" military drills jointly being conducted by the United States and South Korea, stated the agency on Friday.

The launch of the missile on Thursday was the third show of force by North Korea since Sunday and took place hours before South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was headed to Tokyo to attend the summit aimed at boosting ties in the face of growing aggression of Pyongyang.

The drill "serves as an occasion to give a stronger warning to the enemies intentionally escalating the tension in the Korean peninsula," stated KCNA.

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Pyongyang confirmed that the missile was able to travel at a maximum altitude of some 6,000 km (3,700 miles) and flew almost 1,000 km (620 miles) "before accurately landing on the preset area in the open waters off the East Sea of Korea”, which is also called the Sea of Japan, as per the KCNA report.

"The launching drill of the strategic weapon serves as an occasion to give a stronger warning to the enemies intentionally escalating the tension in the Korean peninsula while persistently resorting to irresponsible and reckless military threats," stated the state news agency KCNA.

The government of South Korea claimed that the missile was launched on a lofted trajectory, upwards instead of outwards, which is generally done to prevent the missile from overflying neighbouring countries.

The defence co-operation between Seoul and Washington has been ramped up in the face of increasing nuclear and military threats from North Korea, which has conducted numerous provocative banned weapons tests recently.

North Korea on Tuesday fired two short-range ballistic missiles after launching two strategic cruise missiles on Sunday from a submarine, hours before the US-South Korea exercises started.

WATCH | N Korea fires another ballistic missile; Chile confirms first case of bird flu

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The drills, known as Freedom Shield, started Monday and will continue for 10 days. The Freedom Shield exercises emphasise the "changing security environment" due to redoubled aggression of North Korea, the allies had stated.

North Korea's Kim Jong Un has accused South Korea and the United States of escalating tensions with the military drills.

He "stressed the need to strike fear into the enemies, really deter war and reliably guarantee the peaceful life of our people and their struggle for socialist construction by irreversibly bolstering up the nuclear war deterrent," reported KCNA.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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North Korea claimed that it test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile known called Hwasong-17 on Thursday, reported the state news agency KCNA. The missile, whose test-firing was reported earlier by the South Korean government, was fired amid "provocative and aggressive" military drills jointly being conducted by the United States and South Korea, stated the agency on Friday.

North Korea claimed that it test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile known called Hwasong-17 on Thursday, reported the state news agency KCNA. The missile, whose test-firing was reported earlier by the South Korean government, was fired amid "provocative and aggressive" military drills jointly being conducted by the United States and South Korea, stated the agency on Friday. The launch of the missile on Thursday was the third show of force by North Korea since Sunday and took place hours before South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was headed to Tokyo to attend the summit aimed at boosting ties in the face of growing aggression of Pyongyang. The drill "serves as an occasion to give a stronger warning to the enemies intentionally escalating the tension in the Korean peninsula," stated KCNA. ALSO READ | North Korea preparing for its seventh nuclear test, would be dangerous provocation, US warns Pyongyang confirmed that the missile was able to travel at a maximum altitude of some 6,000 km (3,700 miles) and flew almost 1,000 km (620 miles) "before accurately landing on the preset area in the open waters off the East Sea of Korea”, which is also called the Sea of Japan, as per the KCNA report. "The launching drill of the strategic weapon serves as an occasion to give a stronger warning to the enemies intentionally escalating the tension in the Korean peninsula while persistently resorting to irresponsible and reckless military threats," stated the state news agency KCNA. The government of South Korea claimed that the missile was launched on a lofted trajectory, upwards instead of outwards, which is generally done to prevent the missile from overflying neighbouring countries. The defence co-operation between Seoul and Washington has been ramped up in the face of increasing nuclear and military threats from North Korea, which has conducted numerous provocative banned weapons tests recently. North Korea on Tuesday fired two short-range ballistic missiles after launching two strategic cruise missiles on Sunday from a submarine, hours before the US-South Korea exercises started. WATCH | N Korea fires another ballistic missile; Chile confirms first case of bird flu The drills, known as Freedom Shield, started Monday and will continue for 10 days. The Freedom Shield exercises emphasise the "changing security environment" due to redoubled aggression of North Korea, the allies had stated. North Korea's Kim Jong Un has accused South Korea and the United States of escalating tensions with the military drills. He "stressed the need to strike fear into the enemies, really deter war and reliably guarantee the peaceful life of our people and their struggle for socialist construction by irreversibly bolstering up the nuclear war deterrent," reported KCNA. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

North Korea claims ICBM test-fired on Thursday: KCNA

North Korea's "strike drill" last week at which leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the launch of rockets and at least one short-range ballistic missile was "regular and self-defensive," the North's foreign ministry said on Wednesday, according to state media.

"The recent drill conducted by our army is nothing more than part of the regular military training, and it has neither targeted anyone nor led to an aggravation of the situation in the region," an unidentified ministry spokesperson said in a statement to the state-run KCNA news agency.

Saturday's drill was the first test of a ballistic missile by North Korea since it launched a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile in November 2017.

It came in the wake of talks with the United States and South Korea stalling in February and raised alarms in both countries, which have been seeking to entice the North into abandoning its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.

Seoul responded on Saturday by calling on its northern neighbour to "stop acts that escalate military tension on the Korean Peninsula."

In a second statement carried by KCNA on Wednesday, a spokesman for the North Korean office in charge of military engagement with South Korea lashed out at Seoul over any suggestion that the rocket drills had violated an inter-Korean agreement aimed at reducing military tension.

"The South Korean military should take a close look at the inter Korean military agreement and recall what it has done itself before talking nonsense that it was against the spirit of the agreement," the spokesperson said, according to KCNA.

The second statement also criticised last week's test of a U.S. Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by the U.S. Air Force out of California over the Pacific, saying South Korea was in no position to criticise North Korea.

"The South Korean military has no right to say a word to its fellow countrymen when it acted like a mute who ate honey when the United States fired a Minuteman ICBM which threatens us," the military spokesman said.

US President Donald Trump, who has met with Kim twice, said he was still confident he could have a deal with Kim, and South Korean officials have subsequently played down the test.

North Korea's foreign ministry statement hit back at "spiteful remarks" about the tests from unnamed critics, warning that "baseless allegations" might "produce a result of driving us to the direction which neither we nor they want to see at all."

The ministry spokesperson said there was a double standard, with South Korea and the United States carrying out military drills with little criticism.

"Only our regular and self-defensive military drill is branded as provocative, and this is an undisguised manifestation of the attempt to press the gradual disarmament of our state and finally invade us," the spokesperson said. "We think this is very much unpleasant and regrettable, and we sound a note of warning."

After meeting with Kim for the first time in June last year, Trump abruptly announced he was cancelling all large-scale military exercises with South Korea.

Smaller exercises have continued, however, drawing regular criticism from Pyongyang.

North Korea had maintained a freeze in nuclear and ballistic missiles testing in place since 2017, a fact Trump has repeatedly pointed out as an important achievement from his engagement with Pyongyang.

Denuclearisation talks with North Korea have stalled, however, after Trump and Kim met in February for a second summit but failed to reach an agreement.

North Korea baulked at the extent of the demands made by American negotiators, and Trump said he ended the summit early because Kim was asking for nearly all major sanctions to be lifted while offering little in return.

The U.S. special envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, arrived in Seoul on Wednesday for talks with South Korean officials.

He did not respond to questions from journalists, but his agenda is expected to include the missile test, as well as other aspects of talks with North Korea, including plans for possible humanitarian aid.

North Korea's "strike drill" last week at which leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the launch of rockets and at least one short-range ballistic missile was "regular and self-defensive," the North's foreign ministry said on Wednesday, according to state media.

North Korea's "strike drill" last week at which leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the launch of rockets and at least one short-range ballistic missile was "regular and self-defensive," the North's foreign ministry said on Wednesday, according to state media. "The recent drill conducted by our army is nothing more than part of the regular military training, and it has neither targeted anyone nor led to an aggravation of the situation in the region," an unidentified ministry spokesperson said in a statement to the state-run KCNA news agency. Saturday's drill was the first test of a ballistic missile by North Korea since it launched a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile in November 2017. It came in the wake of talks with the United States and South Korea stalling in February and raised alarms in both countries, which have been seeking to entice the North into abandoning its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes. Seoul responded on Saturday by calling on its northern neighbour to "stop acts that escalate military tension on the Korean Peninsula." In a second statement carried by KCNA on Wednesday, a spokesman for the North Korean office in charge of military engagement with South Korea lashed out at Seoul over any suggestion that the rocket drills had violated an inter-Korean agreement aimed at reducing military tension. "The South Korean military should take a close look at the inter Korean military agreement and recall what it has done itself before talking nonsense that it was against the spirit of the agreement," the spokesperson said, according to KCNA. The second statement also criticised last week's test of a U.S. Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by the U.S. Air Force out of California over the Pacific, saying South Korea was in no position to criticise North Korea. "The South Korean military has no right to say a word to its fellow countrymen when it acted like a mute who ate honey when the United States fired a Minuteman ICBM which threatens us," the military spokesman said. US President Donald Trump, who has met with Kim twice, said he was still confident he could have a deal with Kim, and South Korean officials have subsequently played down the test. North Korea's foreign ministry statement hit back at "spiteful remarks" about the tests from unnamed critics, warning that "baseless allegations" might "produce a result of driving us to the direction which neither we nor they want to see at all." The ministry spokesperson said there was a double standard, with South Korea and the United States carrying out military drills with little criticism. "Only our regular and self-defensive military drill is branded as provocative, and this is an undisguised manifestation of the attempt to press the gradual disarmament of our state and finally invade us," the spokesperson said. "We think this is very much unpleasant and regrettable, and we sound a note of warning." After meeting with Kim for the first time in June last year, Trump abruptly announced he was cancelling all large-scale military exercises with South Korea. Smaller exercises have continued, however, drawing regular criticism from Pyongyang. North Korea had maintained a freeze in nuclear and ballistic missiles testing in place since 2017, a fact Trump has repeatedly pointed out as an important achievement from his engagement with Pyongyang. Denuclearisation talks with North Korea have stalled, however, after Trump and Kim met in February for a second summit but failed to reach an agreement. North Korea baulked at the extent of the demands made by American negotiators, and Trump said he ended the summit early because Kim was asking for nearly all major sanctions to be lifted while offering little in return. The U.S. special envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, arrived in Seoul on Wednesday for talks with South Korean officials. He did not respond to questions from journalists, but his agenda is expected to include the missile test, as well as other aspects of talks with North Korea, including plans for possible humanitarian aid.

North Korea says recent rocket drill was 'regular and self-defensive'

North Korea on Sunday slammed the latest UN sanctions imposed on it over the isolated country`s widely-condemned intercontinental ballistic missile tests, describing the move as an &quot;act of war&quot;.

&quot;We fully reject the latest UN sanctions... as a violent breach of our republic`s sovereignty and an act of war that destroys the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula and a wider region,&quot; Pyongyang`s foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency.

It was the first official reaction from Pyongyang, a day after the UN Security Council unanimously passed new, US-drafted sanctions that will restrict oil supplies vital for the impoverished state.

The sanctions received the backing of Pyongyang`s key ally China and also orders the repatriation of North Korean workers sent abroad to earn much needed revenue for Kim Jong-Un`s regime.&nbsp;

The third raft of sanctions imposed on the North this year came about three weeks after Pyongyang test-fired its longest-range ICBM, which it said was capable of striking all major US cities.&nbsp;

The test of Hwasong-15 further heightened global concerns over the rapid advance in the North`s missile and nuclear weapon programmes that has accelerated since Kim took power in 2011.&nbsp;

The North says its weapons programmes are designed for self-defense against &quot;hostile&quot; US policies towards the isolated but nuclear-armed nation.

'We fully reject the latest UN sanctions... as a violent breach of our republic`s sovereignty and an act of war that destroys the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula,' Pyongyang said

North Korea on Sunday slammed the latest UN sanctions imposed on it over the isolated country`s widely-condemned intercontinental ballistic missile tests, describing the move as an "act of war". "We fully reject the latest UN sanctions... as a violent breach of our republic`s sovereignty and an act of war that destroys the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula and a wider region," Pyongyang`s foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency. It was the first official reaction from Pyongyang, a day after the UN Security Council unanimously passed new, US-drafted sanctions that will restrict oil supplies vital for the impoverished state. The sanctions received the backing of Pyongyang`s key ally China and also orders the repatriation of North Korean workers sent abroad to earn much needed revenue for Kim Jong-Un`s regime. The third raft of sanctions imposed on the North this year came about three weeks after Pyongyang test-fired its longest-range ICBM, which it said was capable of striking all major US cities. The test of Hwasong-15 further heightened global concerns over the rapid advance in the North`s missile and nuclear weapon programmes that has accelerated since Kim took power in 2011. The North says its weapons programmes are designed for self-defense against "hostile" US policies towards the isolated but nuclear-armed nation.

North Korea slams new UN sanctions as 'act of war'

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North Korea claims ICBM test-fired on Thursday: KCNA

North Korea says recent rocket drill was 'regular and self-defensive'

North Korea slams new UN sanctions as 'act of war'