UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned North Korea for its latest launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The UN released a statement attributable to Guterres’ spokesperson after the launch on Thursday.

He said North Korea’s continued missile launches using ballistic missile technology constitute flagrant violations of relevant Security Council resolutions.

The statement also said Guterres has always called for the de-escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Pyongyang’s full implementation of relevant resolutions, a conducive environment for dialogue and the resumption of talks on the issue.