North Korea said on Sunday it can test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at any time from any location set by leader Kim Jong-un, adding the United States’ hostile policy was to blame for its arms development.
Kim said on January 1 his nuclear-capable country was close to test-launching an ICBM.
«The ICBM will be launched anytime and anywhere determined by the supreme headquarters of the DPRK,» an unnamed foreign ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the official KCNA news agency, using the acronym for the country’s name.
Analysts: North Korea not bluffing on ICBM launch
The North is formally known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Ashton Carter, the US defence secretary, said on Sunday that North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes constitute a «serious threat» to the US.
Washington is prepared to shoot down a North Korean missile launch or test «if it were coming towards our territory, or the territory of our friends and allies», Carter said during an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press.
