North Korea media urges stronger nuclear force after U.S. missile test

North Korea will increase its military deterrent to ensure its security against a U.S. nuclear arsenal aimed at it, its state media reported on Friday, as it criticised the United States for a recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test.
The U.S. Air Force launched a nuclear-capable Minuteman III missile from a base in California on Wednesday but the missile was blown up after an anomaly was detected. The test was attended by South Korean defence officials in their first such visit since 2016.
A North Korean military commentator said despite the failure of the test, the presence of South Korean “puppet military gangsters” showed that U.S. nuclear weapons were targeted at North Korea.
The unidentified commentator said in a report carried by the KCNA state news agency, “The DPRK will as ever continue its military action to bolster up the deterrence and ensure the strategic security in the Korean peninsula and the region.”
The commentary also criticised the U.S. and South Korea for various recent military steps including the deployment of U.S. nuclear strategic bombers to South Korea.