Pyongyang

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday vowed that his country will respond to continued threats by using nuclear weapons.

Kim said that Pyongyang "will resolutely react to nukes with nuclear weapons and to total confrontation with all-out confrontation." Local media reported, adding that Kim oversaw the missile launch in person.

The threats come a day after Pyongyang fired an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The isolated country fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) toward the East Sea on Friday, the South Korean military said, in protest over the United States' move to reinforce its "extended deterrence" protection of South Korea and Japan.

The launch is presumed to have involved the Hwasong-17 ICBM. The same ICBM was test-fired on November 3, but the launch was seen as a failure.

According to reports, the missile flew nearly 1,000 km (621 miles) for about 69 minutes and reached a maximum altitude of 6,041 km.

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The Hwasong-17 ICBM was called a "monster" of a missile for its sheer size. It is able to carry multiple warheads and has a range of around 15,000 kms.