North Korea says it has developed and tested a hydrogen bomb[/caption]
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to reach the country’s nuclear goals, according to state media.
The aim was to establish “equilibrium” of military force with the US, the KCNA news agency quoted him as saying. Mr Kim’s comments come after North Korea fired its latest missile over Japan – in what is being described as the country’s farthest-reaching test. The move split world powers who united behind new UN sanctions against North Korea just days ago. “We should clearly show the big power chauvinists how our state attain the goal of completing its nuclear force despite their limitless sanctions and blockade,” Mr Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA. He also said North Korea’s goal was “to establish the equilibrium of real force with the US and make the US rulers dare not talk about military option for the DPRK [North Korea]”. Mr Kim personally watched the launch of a Hwasong-12 ballistic missile on Friday.
How the world reacted to the test?
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“I don’t know when I might be killed” – reaction to the latest missile launch[/caption]


Chinese irritation
Analysis by BBC’s Carrie Gracie in Beijing United Nations sanctions – no more no less. From a Chinese ambassador, that is blunt language and signals Beijing’s irritation over American pressure. China feels it deserves more credit for the hard work and economic pain involved in enforcing two new rounds of UN sanctions within a matter of weeks. It also doubts that sanctions alone, however tough, will deter Pyongyang. So Ambassador Cui Tiankai had his own advice for Washington, saying it should avoid making threats and instead resume dialogue. The only satisfied party today is North Korea. But China has insisted time and again that it will never accept North Korea as a nuclear weapons state, and it can’t avoid the obvious and urgent question: how does China intend to stop it?No new sanctions have been announced at the Council’s meeting.
Why does this new test matter?
The launch took place from the Sunan district of the capital Pyongyang just before 07:00 local time on Friday (22:00 GMT on Thursday), South Korea’s military says. Sunan is home to Pyongyang International Airport. As with the last test on 29 August, the missile flew over Japan’s Hokkaido island before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. Sirens sounded across the region and text message alerts were sent out warning people to take cover.Comparison of missile launches over Japan | ||
---|---|---|
15 September | 29 August | |
Distance travelled | 3,700km (2,299 miles) | 2,700km |
Maximum altitude | 770km | 550km |
Landing distance from Japan | 2,200km | 1,180km |
Flight duration | 19 minutes | 32 minutes |
Missile type | Thought to be intermediate range Hwasong-12 | Thought to be intermediate range Hwasong-12 |

North Korea’s missile programme

- Pyongyang has been developing weapons, initially based on the Soviet-developed Scud, for decades
- Conducted short and medium-range missile tests on many occasions, sometimes to mark domestic events or periods of regional tension
- Pace of tests has increased in recent months; experts say North Korea appears to be making significant advances towards building a reliable long-range nuclear-capable weapon
- On 3 September, North Korea said it tested a hydrogen bomb that could be miniaturised and loaded on a long-range missile