(Bloomberg) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country is in the “last stage” of preparations for test-firing an inter-continental ballistic missile, South Korea's Yonhap News reported.
Kim made the remark in a New Year address televised Sunday, Yonhap said. North Korea has conducted three nuclear tests under Kim and launched a series of long-range rockets.
Kim gave his annual speech before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office later this month. Trump has likened Kim to a “maniac” while suggesting he could meet with the North Korea leader for nuclear talks. Kim made no mention of Trump in his speech.
The regime said previously it had the ability to mount nuclear warheads on to missiles with the range to reach the U.S., an assertion that was bolstered by its launch of a long-range rocket in February and another in August. It conducted its fifth nuclear test in September.
To contact the reporter on this story: Sam Kim in Seoul at skim609@bloomberg.net. To contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Ten Kate at dtenkate@bloomberg.net, Stanley James
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