Iran Press/ America: North Korea's UN envoy, during a rare appearance, told the Security Council on Thursday (July 13) that the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was an exercise of its right to self-defence to deter dangerous military moves of hostile forces and safeguard the security of its own state.
The country’s ambassador to the UN, Kim Song, insisted that his country has the right to self-defense against what he described as threats and provocations by the United States and its allies.
North Korean ambassador was speaking at an urgent meeting convened in response to Pyongyang’s Wednesday launch of a Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The last time North Korea spoke at such a meeting is believed to have been in 2017.
The launch of the missile was an exercise of North Korea’s right to self-defense to deter dangerous military moves by hostile forces, said Song.
He lashed out at Washington’s aerial espionage acts in his country, its promised dispatch of a nuclear submarine to the Republic of Korea, and the allies’ large-scale military drills, questioning how they contribute to peace on the peninsula.
The Hwasong-18 is North Korea's solid-fueled ICBM and its most sophisticated long-range weapon. This is the second time that North Korea has tested this type of projectile, which this time crashed into the Sea of Japan after flying for about 74 minutes – the longest flight time recorded by any weapon launched by the country. 219
