North Korea threatened a further military build-up on Saturday in response to Joe Biden's condemnation of this week's missile launches, a weapons test that marked Pyongyang's first substantive provocation since the US president took office.

The nuclear-armed North has a long history of using weapons tests to ramp up tensions, in a carefully calibrated process to try to forward its objectives.

Pyongyang had been biding its time since the new administration took office in Washington, not even officially acknowledging its existence until last week.

But on Thursday it launched two weapons from its east coast into the Sea of Japan, known as the East Sea in Korea.

Following the launch, Biden labelled the test a violation of UN resolutions and advised the isolated state against ramping up military testing, warning that "there will be responses if they choose to escalate."

Ri Pyong Chol, a leading official in North Korea's missile programme who supervised the test, said the president's comments had revealed his "deep-seated hostility" to the regime.

"Such remarks from the US president are an undisguised encroachment on our state's right to self-defence and provocation to it," Ri said in a statement published by state media outlet KCNA.

Ri said Pyongyang was expressing its "deep apprehension over the US chief executive faulting the regular testfire, (an) exercise of our state's right to self-defence, as the violation of UN 'resolutions.'"

"If the US continues with its thoughtless remarks without thinking of the consequences, it may be faced with something that is not good," he added, warning that North Korea was prepared to "continue to increase our most thoroughgoing and overwhelming military power."

The comments came at a time when Washington is in the final stages of a policy review on North Korea, with signals of a firm line on denuclearisation, sanctions and human rights.

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said Ri's remarks were "essentially a threat that North Korea will respond to the US policy review with more tests".

"Pyongyang is implementing a premeditated strategy of advancing military capabilities and raising tensions," he added.

- 'Tactical guided projectile' -

Pyongyang has made rapid progress in its capabilities under leader Kim Jong Un, testing missiles capable of reaching the entire continental United States as tensions mounted in 2017.

North Korea has reported that the Thursday launch, its first substantive affront since Biden came to office, was a test of a new "tactical guided projectile" with a solid-fuel engine.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga called the two weapons launched from North Korea's east coast ballistic missiles, which it is banned from developing under UN Security Council resolutions.

A UN sanctions committee focused on nuclear-armed North Korea has asked its experts to investigate the test and European members of the Security Council have requested an urgent meeting to discuss North Korea.

The North is already under multiple sets of international sanctions for its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.

A summit between Kim and then-US president Donald Trump in Hanoi in February 2019 broke down over sanctions relief and what Pyongyang would be willing to give up in return.

Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Center for North Korean Studies at the Sejong Institute in Seoul, told AFP that the Biden administration may seek to impose "additional sanctions against Pyongyang" if the North continues with its military provocations.

"From now, one can expect more weapons tests from the North, and very stern responses from the US," he said.

- International resolve -

Thursday's launch, and an earlier test of short-range, non-ballistic missiles at the weekend, came after joint exercises by the US and South Korean militaries and a visit to the region by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

During their trip to Seoul and Tokyo, Blinken repeatedly stressed the importance of denuclearising North Korea, and urged Beijing -- the North's key ally -- to convince Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons.

Biden's approach so far demonstrates a change of tone from his predecessor Donald Trump, who engaged in an extraordinary diplomatic bromance with Kim and last year repeatedly played down similar short-range launches.

Officials of the administration say they have sought to reach out to Pyongyang through several channels but have received no response so far.

"Kim Jong Un intends to use provocations to demand concessions but may end up increasing international resolve for North Korea's denuclearisation," Easley told AFP.

UN experts to probe North Korea weapons test
United Nations, United States (AFP) March 26, 2021 - A UN sanctions committee focused on nuclear-armed North Korea has asked its experts to investigate Pyongyang's launch of missiles on Thursday, diplomats said.

The panel is composed of the same 15 countries that sit on the Security Council. The request to the experts was made Friday in a closed door meeting of the committee.

North Korea launched two weapons from its east coast Thursday, with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga calling them ballistic missiles.

It was North Korea's first substantive provocation since Joe Biden took power as US president in January.

The sanctions committee met after an urgent request made Thursday by the United States.

Pyongyang is under multiple international sanctions over its weapons programs, with UN Security Council resolutions banning it from developing ballistic missiles.

"An outcome of the 1718 committee was for the UN panel of experts to investigate the missile launches as a first step," one diplomat said, referring to the UN North Korea sanctions panel.

"We are looking at what is possible," another diplomat said about prospects for the Security Council to hold a meeting on the latest missile launch.

There was "a general sense of concern" during the meeting of the sanctions committee, this diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

The Security Council voted unanimously Friday, diplomats said, to extend until April 30, 2022 the mandate of UN experts overseeing the different sets of sanctions imposed against North Korea over its weapons programs.

They were approved in recent years at the initiative of the US.

The new resolution passed Friday asks the experts group to present an interim report by August 3 and a full and final report by January 28, 2022.

The renewal of the mandate of the experts was not linked to the latest missile launches. It was about to expire anyway.

The vote coincided with this latest flare-up in tensions, and was supported by both Russia and China, which pushed last year for an easing of sanctions against North Korea.

The sanctions are aimed at pressing North Korea to halt its nuclear and ballistic weapons programs.

Among other punishment, they limit North Korean imports of oil and its exports of coal, textiles and fish.

Related Links
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
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North Korea launches suspected ballistic missiles
Seoul (AFP) March 25, 2021
North Korea fired two suspected ballistic missiles into the sea Thursday, in its first substantive provocation to the new US administration of Joe Biden. The nuclear-armed North has a long history of using weapons tests to ramp up tensions, in a carefully calibrated process to try to forward its objectives. Donald Trump's first year in office was marked by a series of escalating launches, accompanied by a war of words between him and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Pyongyang had been biding ... read more