North Korea LIVE: Kim Jong-un eyes missile launch as Putin warns of ‘global catastrophe’

  • has been seen moving an intercontinental ballistic missile ahead of a possible launch.
  • South Korea could redeploy US tactical nuclear weapons, its defence minister has said.
  • Vladimir Putin has said that further military action could lead to “catastrophe”.

Bringing you the latest North Korea updates following Kim Jong-un’s nuclear weapon test. All times BST.

8.40am: Putin warns of catastrophe

Vladimir Putin has said that tougher sanctions against North Korea would be “useless” and “ineffective” at changing Kim Jong-un’s leadership.

The Russian President also warned that further ramping up military hysteria around the Korean peninsula could lead to “global catastrophe”.

Mr Putin spoke hours after Donald Trump and Angela Merkel made an unprecedented joint statement condemning the North’s nuclear test, and urging the UN to quickly impose harsher sanctions.

“Both agreed that the test of a hydrogen bomb means a new and unacceptable escalation by the North Korean regime,” a spokesman for the German government said.

“The German chancellor and the American president expressed the view that the international community must continue to exert pressure on the regime in North Korea and that the United Nations Security Council has to quickly adopt further and stricter sanctions.”

The US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has called for a vote on sanctions as early as next week.

“We cannot kick this can down the road any longer,” she said at a special UN meeting yesterday. 

“Enough is enough. War is never something the United States wants. But our country’s patience is not unlimited.”

7.00am: North Korea moves missile to coast

North Korea has been spotted moving what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) towards its west coast, South Korean media has reported.

The weapon was allegedly moved overnight in order to avoid surveillance.

South Korea’s defence ministry said they were unable to confirm the contents of the report, however yesterday Seoul warned that it expects further missile launches from Pyongyang.

“We have continued to see signs of possibly more ballistic missile launches,” a South Korean defence ministry official said. 

“We also forecast North Korea could fire an intercontinental ballistic missile.”

6.30am: South Korea could redeploy US nuclear weapons

South Korea has suggested that it could redeploy US nuclear weapons on its territory, a step which could drastically heighten tensions across the Korean peninsula.

The country’s defence minister Song Young-moo said “all available military options” were being considered.

However a spokesman later clarified that there was “no change” in Seoul’s stance on denuclearisation.

The announcement came as South Korean warships conducted live-fire drills at sea as a direct response to the threat of further missile launches from Pyongyang.

“If the enemy launches a provocation above water or under water, we will immediately hit back to bury them at sea,” Captain Choi Young-chan, commander of the 13th Maritime Battle Group, said in a statement.

Hours earlier, South Korean President Moon Jae-in reached an agreement with his US counterpart Donald Trump to remove a payload limit on the Seoul’s missiles.

The two leaders agreed to work together to punish North Korea, pledging “to strengthen joint military capabilities, and to “maximise pressure on North Korea using all means at their disposal”, a White House statement said.