Two days ago, U.S. President Donald Trump fired an apparent salvo at North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un, asking, “doesn’t this guy have anything better to do with his life?”
The tweet came amid news that North Korea had conducted a missile test.
Two days later, Kim responded, saying that North Korea’s test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was a “gift” to the “American bastards,” according to a KCNA news release quoted by AFP.
On Tuesday, North Korea claimed to have test-launched a Hwasong-14 missile at a distance of 933 kilometres and an altitude of 2,802 kilometres.
One expert said that all of Alaska was in the missile’s range.
WATCH:In a large scale military exercise Wednesday the US and South Korea launched a barrage of missiles in a clear display of force against North Korea
The test was conducted on the eve of the U.S. Independence Day holiday and the missile landed in Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
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READ MORE: North Korea claims to have tested ICBM that can carry nuclear warhead
Kim’s remark came in a news release from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) that described him having a “broad smile” as he looked at the ICBM, according to The Guardian.
The release also came with photos that showed Kim clapping and raising a fist alongside men in uniform.
The Pentagon concluded that North Korea had, indeed, tested an ICBM, and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called the test a “new escalation of the threat” against the United States.
South Korean defence minister Han Min-koo said it was likely that North Korea would carry out a sixth nuclear test after the launch.
“North Korea’s eventual goal is to weaponize its nuclear power, so I see a high chance that will happen,” he said.
WATCH: South Korea releases simulation video of a North Korean attack
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