Rocket man: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends concert celebrating missile launch, basks in applause

Tokyo: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended a concert replete with pop music and thunderous applause to fete the successful launch of his country’s first intercontinental ballistic missile.

Leading the bill at the concert was the Moranbong Band, an all-female ensemble that was hand-picked by Kim and serves as something of the “soft” face of his regime.

Pyongyang has been the scene of a slew of special events to mark the 4 July launch of Hwasong-14, which is believed to be capable of reaching most of Alaska and possibly further. The concert, played before a packed crowd, many in  uniform, also featured dancing.

Clips of it shown on North Korean television on Monday showed the crowd repeatedly cheering and applauding for Kim.

North Korea’s successful test launch of an ICBM last week was a milestone in its long-term effort to build a missile with a nuclear warhead capable of reaching the United States.

US president Donald Trump searched for consensus with Asian allies Saturday on how to counter what he called the “menace” of North Korea.

US ambassador Nikki Haley told the Security Council last Wednesday that the United States is prepared to use military force to defend the country and its allies against a North Korean ICBM if necessary, but she said the Trump administration prefers to use its clout in international trade to address the growing threat.

With inputs from AP