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).
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