On September 5, 2016, 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.
In the latest New Year's address to the nation, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the country was finalizing preparations for another intercontinental ballistic missile test.
On January 8, the North Korean Foreign Ministry said the country was ready to launch a ballistic missile at any time and from any location. On the same day, former diplomat at the North Korean embassy in London Thae Yong Ho, who defected to South Korea in 2016, stated that North Korea sought to complete the development of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by the end of 2017 or in early 2018.
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