Seoul—North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Thursday, South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in said, the first time Pyongyang has launched such a powerful weapon since 2017.
The ICBM launch is one of nearly a dozen weapons tests conducted by North Korea so far this year and marks the end of a self-imposed moratorium on long-range and nuclear testing.
It was a “breach of the suspension of intercontinental ballistic missile launches promised by Chairman Kim Jong Un to the international community,” Moon said in a statement.
“It poses a serious threat to the Korean peninsula, the region and the international community,” he said, adding that it was a “clear violation” of UN Security Council resolutions.
Pyongyang had officially paused long-range testing while leader Kim Jong Un embarked on high-profile negotiations with then-US president Donald Trump. But talks collapsed in 2019 and have been stalled ever since.
Despite biting international sanctions, North Korea has doubled-down on Kim’s drive to modernize the military, and last week test-fired what analysts said was likely a “monster missile” —a new long-range ICBM. It exploded soon after launch.
The US and South Korea had warned earlier this month that Pyongyang was preparing to launch an ICBM at full range.
 Thursday, South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in said, the first time Pyongyang has launched such a powerful weapon since 2017.){kind=link}