UN 'strongly' condemns North Korea's ballistic missile launch

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned North Korea's ballistic missile test on Thursday, according to a statement by his spokesperson.

"The Secretary-General strongly condemns the launch of yet another long-range ballistic missile by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea," said Stephane Dujarric.

Guterres reiterated his calls for North Korea to comply with its international obligations under all relevant Security Council resolutions.

Guterres invited North Korea to "reopen communication channels, and to resume dialogue leading to sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," according to the statement.

North Korea announced the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile on Thursday morning to "instill fear in the enemies" after South Korea's rapprochement with Japan and its joint military drills with the United States.

South Korea's military said the missile was fired from near the North Korean capital Pyongyang at around 7.23 a.m. on Thursday and landed in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, calling it a "grave provocation."

The missile reached 6,045 kilometers high and journeyed for almost 1,000 kilometers before falling into the open water on the eastern coast of the country, according to the Korean Central News Agency.