North Korea's new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) represents "a new escalation of the threat to the United States," Japan and South Korea, the U.S. said, as dictator Kim Jong Un pledged not to give up his isolated country's burgeoning nuclear weapons capabilities while continuing to dole out "gift packages" of missile and atomic tests.
The United States and the two Asian allies effectively confirmed Wednesday that the launch was indeed of a long-range missile, with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urging "global action ... to stop a global threat."
In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference that the missile "was highly likely to be an ICBM," citing its estimated firing range of more than 5,500 km.