North Korea conducted a “highly significant” test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Thursday morning, DPRK state media announced hours after the launch was detected by South Korea and Japan.

In a brief statement released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) around noon, DPRK leader Kim Jong Un said the launch was intended to “communicate our resolve to adversaries” in response to the “dangerous reinforcement of nuclear alliances” between the U.S. and ROK. 

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced earlier that North Korea launched one “long-range ballistic missile” Thursday morning, a day after ROK intelligence warned