Photos of North Korea's smiling leader Kim Jong-un inspecting missile equipment around the time of the country's latest ballistic missile launch have been published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Touting the launch as a "breakthrough", Kim "declared with pride" that North Korea has "finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force, the cause of building a rocket power," the Independent quoted KCNA as saying.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has urged countries around the world to sever their commercial, diplomatic, military and any other ties with North Korea after the latest launch, which violated a UN Security Council resolution.
![North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un is seen as the newly developed intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15's test was successfully launched, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang November 30, 2017 North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un is seen as the newly developed intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15's test was successfully launched, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang November 30, 2017 - Sputnik International](https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/105955/76/1059557665_0:0:3500:2307_600x0_80_0_0_746e397e503843bff2893f5578d742bf.jpg)
Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting, she also said that the North Korean leader "made a choice yesterday that brings the world closer to war, not farther from it."
![North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un is seen as the newly developed intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15's test was successfully launched, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang November 30, 2017 North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un is seen as the newly developed intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15's test was successfully launched, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang November 30, 2017 - Sputnik International](https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/105955/75/1059557532_0:0:3500:2329_600x0_80_0_0_8a97eb4b79c18e67490631bb76bfec8d.jpg)
In the early hours of Wednesday, Pyongyang test-fired its new Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, which Pyongyang claims is capable of reaching any target in the continental United States.
![North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un is seen as the newly developed intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15's test was successfully launched, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang November 30, 2017 North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un is seen as the newly developed intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15's test was successfully launched, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang November 30, 2017 - Sputnik International](https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/105955/74/1059557463_0:0:3500:2323_600x0_80_0_0_9a04296df02bbf759122aa7f677bb98f.jpg)
US Defense Secretary James Mattis, for his part, told journalists shortly after the launch that this North Korean missile was "higher, frankly, than any previous shot they have taken."
![North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un is seen as the newly developed intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15's test was successfully launched, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang November 30, 2017 North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un is seen as the newly developed intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15's test was successfully launched, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang November 30, 2017 - Sputnik International](https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/105955/76/1059557600_0:0:3500:2311_600x0_80_0_0_45367a28cd152304806ccbd3f34b2f43.jpg)
Early on Thursday, an emergency UN Security Council meeting over North Korea's latest missile launch is set to take place at the initiative of Japan, South Korea and the United States.