Kim Yo Jong, the politically powerful sister of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, warned of a "fatal security crisis" to Western critics of the hermit kingdom.
Kim Yo Jong made the comment in reference to condemnations of North Korean missile testing from U.S.-aligned nations after a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday.
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"The U.S. should be mindful that no matter how desperately it may seek to disarm [North Korea], it can never deprive [North Korea] of its right to self-defense and that the more hell-bent it gets on the anti-[North Korea] acts, it will face a more fatal security crisis," Kim Yo Jong said in a statement to state media.
The Security Council meeting was called after the test launch of ICBM missiles by the North Korean military, ostensibly for the purposes of bolstering national self-defense.
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Kim Yo Jong criticized the U.S. for its "disgusting joint statement together with such rabbles as Britain, France, Australia, Japan and South Korea."
State media KCNA said Saturday that Kim Jong Un had observed the launch of a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile with his wife, Ri Sol Ju, and their "beloved daughter" on Friday.
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North Korea's state newspaper Rodong Sinmun released photos of Kim Jong Un watching a soaring missile with his daughter.
The 38-year-old ruler said the launch of the Hwasong-17 missile — the country's longest-range, nuclear-capable missile — proved he has a reliable weapon to contain U.S.-led military threats.
Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said the weapon could travel as far as 9,320 miles — enough to reach the continental U.S.