North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile on Thursday, escalating its weapons program while world leaders are gathered in Europe to focus on Russia’s war on Ukraine.
It is the first ICBM launch since November 2017.
The test comes while world leaders are gathered at the NATO headquarters in Brussels to address Russia’s war on Ukraine.
The White House condemned the launch as a “brazen violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions,” adding that “it needlessly raises tensions.”
“This action demonstrates that [North Korea] continues to prioritize its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs over the well-being of its people,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. “We urge all countries to hold [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] accountable for such violations and call on the DPRK to come to the table for serious negotiations.”
Ms. Psaki added that the door has not closed on diplomacy but called on Pyongyang to cease its destabilizing actions.
The ICBM test-fired on Thursday reached a maximum altitude of more than 3,728 miles, flew for roughly 71 minutes, and traveled about 1,100 kilometers, Japan’s Deputy Defense Minister Makoto Oniki told reporters.
It landed roughly 150 kilometers west of Japan’s Oshima Peninsula within the country’s exclusive economic zone.
Japan’s prime minister is in Brussels, Belgium for the Group of Seven summit, which convened to discuss the crisis in Ukraine.
“It is absolutely unacceptable that while the world is responding to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, North Korea would unilaterally escalate its provocations against the international community by conducting this launch,” Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Thursday.
The Pentagon said earlier this month that Pyongyang has unveiled and test-fired new weapons systems with larger missiles on Feb. 27 and March 5. U.S. officials warned earlier this month that North Korea was planning a full-range test.
• This story is based in part on wires.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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