North Korea has vowed to reach its nuclear goal as the US warned it will consider military action if the rogue state continues to ignore sanctions.
Kim Jong-un’s aim was to establish “equilibrium” of military force with the US, the leader told KCNA news agency.
His comments came after the country fire its latest missile over Japan, in what has been described as its furthest reaching test yet.
"We should clearly show the big power chauvinists how our state attain the goal of completing its nuclear force despite their limitless sanctions and blockade," Mr Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA.
He added that the North’s goal was "to establish the equilibrium of real force with the US and make the US rulers dare not talk about military option for the DPRK [North Korea]".
After the ballistic missile test flight on Friday, the UN Security Council was called into an emergency session to discuss possible measures.
Following the meeting, US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, and the national security advisor, HR McMaster, said if sanctions failed military options would be explored.
“What is different about this approach is: we’re out of time, right?” McMaster said on Friday. “We have been kicking the can down the road and we’re out of road.
“For those who have been commenting about the lack of a military option – there is a military option. Now, it’s not what we prefer to do, so what we have to do is call on all nations to do everything we can to address this global problem, short of war.”
Friday’s missile reached an altitude of about 770km (478 miles), travelling 3,700km past the northern island of Hokkaido before landing in the sea, South Korea's military said.
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Experts said it had the capacity to reach the US territory of Guam and that it is the furthest any North Korean ballistic missile has ever travelled above ground.
