North Korea vows further 'gift package' missile tests for the US
North Korea has vowed to continue sending the US "gift packages" in the form of further missile tests, as tension between the countries continues to increase.
The pariah state maintained it would never give up its atomic ambitions just hours after successfully testing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of "reaching Alaska".
Kim Jong-un's latest step to join the nuclear club was met with joint US-South Korean military drills on the East Asian peninsula.
It comes as the UN Security Council is expected to meet on Wednesday to discuss Tuesday's development.
Despite escalating concerns around the international community, the one-party North Korean state has insisted it will persist in carrying out further tests and spite the "Yankees".
The missile launched which fell into the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan was claimed by North Korea to have been its first successful ICMB launch.
It was viewed by some as a big step in Pyongyang’s bid to develop long-range missiles.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson labelled the development a "new threat to the world", while Donald Trump was disparaging of the secretive state over Twitter.
The US President asked whether Kim had "anything better to do with his life".
US-South Korean forces carry out missile drills
On Wednesday North Korean media appeared to bask in the attention, describing its leader as "feasting his eyes" on the ICBM.
"With a broad smile on his face,” Kim urged his scientists to “frequently send big and small ‘gift packages’ to the Yankees,” the North Korean outlet reported.
President Trump had previously claimed such a test "won't happen".
While one expert suggested the latest missile could potentially reach Alaska, North Korea argued the launch marked the "final step" towards creating a rocket capable of striking "anywhere on earth".
Japan's government has since announced it is taking every measure to ensure its people’s safety.
China and Russia have jointly called for North Korea to halt its weapons development programme in exchange for a stop in US and South Korean posturing.
South Korean and US drills on Wednesday involved a "deep strike" of precision missiles into South Korean territorial waters.
The US will bring North Korea's latest actions before the UN Security Council in its upcoming meeting.