PM reveals ‘outrage’ at North Korea’s latest missile test

Theresa May today condemned North Korea’s latest ‘reckless provocation’ after it fired another ballistic missile over Japan.

The Prime Minister is ‘outraged’ by the new rocket test, Downing Street said, and the Government called on China to keep pressure on its rogue neighbour.

The international community has condemned the latest missile test which is in defiance of a new round of UN sanctions last week that were designed to be the toughest imposed this century.

Mrs May’s official spokesman said: ‘The PM is outraged by North Korea’s continued reckless provocation and she strongly condemns the regime’s illegal tests.

‘We are looking to China to use its channels of communication to influence North Korea and keep up the pressure on North Korea to change course.’

Earlier, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson condemned the test as ‘illegal’ and the latest sign of ‘provocation’ from Pyongyang.

‘Yet another illegal missile launch by North Korea. UK and international community will stand together in the face of these provocations,’ he said on Twitter.

In a subsequent statement, he added: ‘The UK and the international community have condemned the aggressive and illegal actions of the North Korean regime, and the succession of missile and nuclear tests. We stand firmly by Japan and our other international partners.

‘We are working to mobilise world opinion with the aim of achieving a diplomatic solution to the situation on the Korean peninsula.

‘This week the most stringent UN sanctions regime placed on any nation in the 21st century was imposed on North Korea, after being unanimously agreed at the UN Security Council.

Eye on Guam: Friday’s missile test flew 2,300miles – 200miles further than the distance from Pyongyang to U.S. Pacific territory of Guam – and landed in the sea 

Aftermath: Pedestrians in Tokyo walk under a large-scale monitor displaying North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on a TV news broadcast after the launch ballistic missile over Japan on Friday morning, which travelled 2,300 miles

‘These measures now need to be robustly enforced. We urge all states to play their part in changing the course North Korea is taking.’

Before the latest launch, Mr Johnson had called for China to use its influence over North Korea to ease tensions caused by Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile development programmes.

At a press conference with US counterpart Rex Tillerson on Thursday, Mr Johnson said Pyongyang had ‘defied the world’.

‘We resolved to continue to work together and with important partners who can influence North Korea – including China – with the aim of securing the complete and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula,’ he said.

South Korean military officials said the latest missile travelled about 3,700 kilometres (2,300 miles) and reached a maximum height of 770 kilometres (478 miles) before landing in the water.

Boris Johnson (pictured last night at the Foreign Office) has condemned the latest missile launch from North Korea