North Korea and Russia clash with U.S., South Korea and allies over Pyongyang's latest missile launch

North Korea and Russia clashed with the United States, South Korea and their allies at an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting Tuesday on Pyongyang's latest intercontinental ballistic missile launch, which it called "a warning counter-measure" to threats from the U.S. and other hostile forces.

North Korea and Russia clashed with the United States, South Korea and their allies at an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting Tuesday on Pyongyang's latest intercontinental ballistic missile launch, which it called "a warning counter-measure" to threats from the U.S. and other hostile forces.

North Korean Ambassador Kim Song said this is "the most dangerous year" in the military-security landscape on the Korean Peninsula, pointing to stepped up U.S.-South Korean military exercises and the U.S. deployment of nuclear-powered submarines and other nuclear assets to the area that have raised a "nuclear war danger."

The U.S. and nine allies pointed to five North Korean ICBM launches, over 25 ballistic missiles launches and three satellite launches using ballistic missile technology this year, violating multiple Security Council resolutions and threatening "the peace and stability of its neighbors and the international community."

In a statement read just before the council meeting by U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood, surrounded by diplomats from the other countries, the 10 countries condemned the latest ICBM launch on Dec. 18 and all launches before it.

Kim urged the international community to think about North Korea's security concerns, calling its counter-measures an "absolutely reasonable, normal and reflective response" in exercise of its legitimate right to self-defense.

He warned the U.S. and South Korea that if they continue "with their reckless and irresponsible military threat," North Korea's armed forces "will never remain an onlooker to it and the provokers will be held entirely responsible for all the consequences."

North Korea will also "continue to build up its strategic power of a more advanced type to contain and control any threat from the U.S. and its followers with immediate, overwhelming and decisive counter-measures," Kim warned.