N. Korea touts ICBM launch as 'major success'

North Korea fires a Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile with its leader Kim Jong-un observing the launch, Dec. 18. Courtesy of the North's official Korean Central News Agency

North Korea on Wednesday lauded its latest launch of a solid-fuel Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) as a "major success" that will help the country "counter any crises."

The North's missile flew about 1,000 kilometers at a lofted trajectory before coming down in the East Sea on Monday, according to South Korea's military.

It marked North Korea's fifth ICBM test this year alone — the highest number ever recorded in a single year — that also followed the launch of a military spy satellite in November.

The North boasted about the latest launch on the front page of the Rodong Sinmun, its main newspaper for the domestic audience, saying it has displayed the "toughest retaliation will" and "overwhelming strength" to hostile forces.

North Korea said it has acquired the "strongest of power" to firmly counter any military crises with the spy satellite and the ICBM, referring to them as "eyes overlooking a very long distance" and a "strong fist beating a very long distance."

The newspaper went on to stress the importance of self-reliance and touted the launch of the ICBM and the spy satellite as self-attained feats.

South Korea, the United States and Japan have condemned North Korea's ICBM launch as a "flagrant" breach of U.N. Security Council resolutions and agreed to strengthen their trilateral cooperation to deter further provocations. (Yonhap)