WASHINGTON _ Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, confirming that North Korean tested an intercontinental ballistic missile, called it a "new escalation of the threat to the United States, our allies and partners."
Tillerson said Tuesday that the United States would bring North Korea's "provocative action" before the United Nations Security Council.
North Korea had said the missile's nearly 40-minute flight as its first successful test of an ICBM, but it took almost a full 24 hours for analysis of data to bear that out.
"Global action is required to stop a global threat," Tillerson said. He called on all nations to "publicly demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences" of its nuclear and missile programs.
The secretary said President Donald Trump and his national security advisers were "continuing to assess the situation in close coordination with our allies and partners." The latest firing is certain to elevate the matter of containing North Korea when Trump and other leaders of the world's richest countries meet later this week for their annual Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany.
Throughout the Independence Day holiday, the White House had been silent on the missile launch, although Trump posted on Twitter after the test-firing. He did not mention the North Korea situation in remarks Tuesday afternoon at a picnic for military families.
