The White House said it was taking necessary measures to protect the U.S. homeland and regional allies, but that the launch did not pose any immediate threat.
Kim said the test confirmed "another reliable and maximum capacity to contain any nuclear threat" at a time when he needed to warn Washington and its allies that military moves against Pyongyang would lead to their "self-destruction."
"The United States and South Korea will find that they have made a terrible mistake that cannot be reversed," Pak said in a statement carried by state news agency KCNA. He had previously issued statements demanding the drills be stopped.
Kirby said the amount of shells was not insignificant, but was unlikely to change the momentum or outcome of the war. However, they could still be deadly for Ukrainians, he said.
November 02, 2022 11:24 AM
·
By David Brunnstrom, Idrees Ali and Susan Heavey / Reuters
North Korea has been carrying out weapons tests at an unprecedented pace this year, firing more than two dozen ballistic missiles, including one that flew over Japan.
North Korea has condemned the drills for raising tensions and has test-fired rockets and artillery in response. South Korea and the United States say the drills are defensive, and necessary for deterring the North.
The tests show the North is committed to making technical progress on its weapons programs, analysts say. But North Korea's state media has been unusually silent.
Biden landed at the U.S. air base in Osan, south of Seoul, and immediately drove to Samsung's nearby factory, the largest semiconductor plant in the world.
The Thursday launch was the first full ICBM test by nuclear-armed North Korea since 2017. Flight data indicated the missile flew higher and longer than any of North Korea's previous tests before crashing into the sea west of Japan.
It would be the first full-capability launch of the nuclear-armed state's largest missiles since 2017, and represents a major step in the North's development of weapons that might be able to deliver nuclear warheads anywhere in the United States.
