North Korea leader Kim Jong-Un has declared a submarine-launched missile test the &quot;greatest success&quot;, state media reported today, even as the UN weighed a condemnation of the launch which appears to be an advancement in Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear strike capability.<br />
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The US mainland and the Pacific are now &quot;within the striking range&quot; of the North Korean army, the official news agency reported Kim as saying.<br />
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The missile was test-fired from a submarine submerged off the northeastern port of Sinpo on Wednesday, according to South Korea&#39;s military. It flew round 300 miles towards Japan, exceeding any previous sub-launched tests.<br />
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The UN Security Council met on Wednesday to discuss this latest provocative move and agreed to consider a statement condemning the launch.<br />
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&quot;There was a general sense of condemnation by most members of the council and therefore we will have to see how we would then be phrasing the press statement,&quot; said Ramlan bin Ibrahim from Malaysia, which currently holds the council&#39;s presidency.<br />
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<h5>Current UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from any use of ballistic missile technology, but Pyongyang has continued to carry out numerous launches following its fourth nuclear test in January.</h5>
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However, according to media reports, diplomats expected further haggling with China, Pyongyang&#39;s main ally, over the wording.<br />
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Earlier this month, North Korea fired a land-launched ballistic missile directly into Japanese-controlled waters for the first time, that followed an outraged response from Tokyo.<br />
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But the Security Council failed to condemn the move after China sought to include language in a statement opposing the THAAD missile defence system that the United States plans to deploy in South Korea.<br />
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Kim said the latest launch proved the North had joined the &quot;front rank of the military powers fully equipped with nuclear attack capability&quot;.&nbsp;<br />
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According to reports, Pyongyang&#39;s top newspaper Rodong Sinmun carried 24 photos of him observing the launch, including one with his hands on his waist laughing at an observation post, and other watching through a pair of binoculars.&nbsp;<br />
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&quot;I do not guess what ridiculous remarks the US and its followers will make about this test-fire, but I can say their rash acts will only precipitate their self-destruction,&quot; he was quoted as saying.&nbsp;<br />
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South Korea&#39;s Yonhap news agency cited a military source as saying Wednesday&#39;s launch had been made at an acute angle to limit the missile&#39;s range.<br />
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The US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University said on its website, 38 North, that Pyongyang still faces significant technological challenges including building a new class of submarine to carry the missile.<br />
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But the North is &quot;on track to the capability to strike targets in the region, including Japan, by 2020&quot;, it said.<br />
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Current UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from any use of ballistic missile technology, but Pyongyang has continued to carry out numerous launches following its fourth nuclear test in January.<br />
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(With inputs from AFP)

Kim was reported as saying after the test that the US mainland and the pacific are now 'within the striking range' of his army

North Korea leader Kim Jong-Un has declared a submarine-launched missile test the "greatest success", state media reported today, even as the UN weighed a condemnation of the launch which appears to be an advancement in Pyongyang's nuclear strike capability. The US mainland and the Pacific are now "within the striking range" of the North Korean army, the official news agency reported Kim as saying. The missile was test-fired from a submarine submerged off the northeastern port of Sinpo on Wednesday, according to South Korea's military. It flew round 300 miles towards Japan, exceeding any previous sub-launched tests. The UN Security Council met on Wednesday to discuss this latest provocative move and agreed to consider a statement condemning the launch. "There was a general sense of condemnation by most members of the council and therefore we will have to see how we would then be phrasing the press statement," said Ramlan bin Ibrahim from Malaysia, which currently holds the council's presidency. Current UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from any use of ballistic missile technology, but Pyongyang has continued to carry out numerous launches following its fourth nuclear test in January. However, according to media reports, diplomats expected further haggling with China, Pyongyang's main ally, over the wording. Earlier this month, North Korea fired a land-launched ballistic missile directly into Japanese-controlled waters for the first time, that followed an outraged response from Tokyo. But the Security Council failed to condemn the move after China sought to include language in a statement opposing the THAAD missile defence system that the United States plans to deploy in South Korea. Kim said the latest launch proved the North had joined the "front rank of the military powers fully equipped with nuclear attack capability". According to reports, Pyongyang's top newspaper Rodong Sinmun carried 24 photos of him observing the launch, including one with his hands on his waist laughing at an observation post, and other watching through a pair of binoculars. "I do not guess what ridiculous remarks the US and its followers will make about this test-fire, but I can say their rash acts will only precipitate their self-destruction," he was quoted as saying. South Korea's Yonhap news agency cited a military source as saying Wednesday's launch had been made at an acute angle to limit the missile's range. The US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University said on its website, 38 North, that Pyongyang still faces significant technological challenges including building a new class of submarine to carry the missile. But the North is "on track to the capability to strike targets in the region, including Japan, by 2020", it said. Current UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from any use of ballistic missile technology, but Pyongyang has continued to carry out numerous launches following its fourth nuclear test in January. (With inputs from AFP)

Kim Jong-Un declares submarine-launched missile test  'greatest success'; UN condemns launch

North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile off its east coast, South Korea&#39;s military said today, the latest in a string of missile launches by the isolated country in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions.<br />
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North Korea test-fired the missile at around 5.30 a.m. (0830 GMT) near the coastal city of Sinpo, where satellite imagery shows a submarine base to be located, an official at South Korea&#39;s joint chiefs of staff said.<br />
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The launch comes two days after rival South Korea and the United States began annual military exercises in the South that North Korea condemns as a preparation for an&nbsp;invasion, and has threatened retaliation.<br />
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North Korea has become further isolated after a January nuclear test, its fourth, and the launch of a long-range rocket in February brought tightened UN sanctions.<br />
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It has launched numerous missiles of various types this year, including one this month that landed in or near Japanese-controlled waters.<br />
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Tensions on the Korean peninsula were exacerbated by the recent defection of North Korea&#39;s deputy ambassador in London to South Korea, an embarrassing setback to the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.<br />
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(Reuters)

The launch comes two days after rival South Korea and the US began annual military exercises in the South that North Korea condemns

North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile off its east coast, South Korea's military said today, the latest in a string of missile launches by the isolated country in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions. North Korea test-fired the missile at around 5.30 a.m. (0830 GMT) near the coastal city of Sinpo, where satellite imagery shows a submarine base to be located, an official at South Korea's joint chiefs of staff said. The launch comes two days after rival South Korea and the United States began annual military exercises in the South that North Korea condemns as a preparation for an invasion, and has threatened retaliation. North Korea has become further isolated after a January nuclear test, its fourth, and the launch of a long-range rocket in February brought tightened UN sanctions. It has launched numerous missiles of various types this year, including one this month that landed in or near Japanese-controlled waters. Tensions on the Korean peninsula were exacerbated by the recent defection of North Korea's deputy ambassador in London to South Korea, an embarrassing setback to the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. (Reuters)

North Korea test-fires submarine-launched ballistic missile: South Korea

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