A South Korean soldier walks past a television news screen showing North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un approving the country´s new ICBM test, at a railway station in Seoul on November 29, 2017 - AFP

 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday expressed deep concern over the reported launch of a ballistic missile by North Korea.

North Korea said it had successfully tested a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that could reach all of the US mainland.

?Such launches constitute a violation of the UN Security Council resolutions. These steps also undermine the goals of peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula, the North-East Asia region and beyond,? said a press release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Foreign Office stressed that Pakistan would continue to call upon North Kora to comply with Security Council resolutions and refrain from actions which could lead to an escalation of tensions.

?In order to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, it is vital for all relevant parties to pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy, to reduce tensions and work towards achieving a comprehensive solution,? the press release added.

The missile test, North Korea?s first since mid-September, came a week after US President Donald Trump put North Korea back on a US list of countries it says support terrorism, allowing it to impose more sanctions.

North Korea has conducted dozens of ballistic missile tests under its leader, Kim Jong Un, in defiance of international sanctions. Trump has vowed not to let North Korea develop nuclear missiles that can hit the mainland United States.