In his New Year's message, Kim reportedly said that his country had almost finished developing a long-range nuclear missile.
On September 5, Pyongyang launched three ballistic missiles in the direction of the Sea of Japan. Several days later it conducted a successful test of a nuclear warhead, which is believed to be the fifth and largest blast since Pyongyang began pursuing nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
North Korea's nuclear tests have been the source of concern for its close neighbors, Japan and South Korea, and have been criticized by different other states and organizations around the world. In 2016, the UN Security Council held 9 emergency consultations in response to Pyongyang’s nuclear test and ballistic missile launches.
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