North Korea gloated on Tuesday about the country’s possession of missiles that would be able to hit the U.S.
“In today’s world where many countries waste time dealing with the United States with submission and blind obedience, there’s only our country on this planet that can shake the world by firing a missile with the U.S. mainland in its range,” North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said, Reuters reported.
“There are more than 200 countries in the world, but only a few have hydrogen bombs, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and hypersonic missiles,” the ministry added.
Tensions have increased between the U.S. and North Korea since North Korea tested a record numbers of missiles in January, according to Reuters.
The statement from North Korea comes after the United Nations recently discovered the country has increased its missile capabilities and earned millions of dollars from cyberattacks.
The ministry said the missiles were “war deterrence” and represented “remarkable achievements” for a country that is struggling with many domestic issues such as a food shortage.
“Our goal remains the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The United States harbors no hostile intent toward the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea],” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill.
“The DPRK constitutes a threat to international peace and security and the global nonproliferation regime. The United States has a vital interest in deterring the DPRK, defending against its provocations or uses of force, limiting the reach of its most dangerous weapons programs, and above all keeping the American people, our deployed forces, and our allies safe,” they added.