North Korea's Kim Jong Un Celebrates Missile Launch With Banquet

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un hosted a banquet featuring pop music Sunday to celebrate the country’s first successful launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

North Korea claimed on July 4, 2017 to have successfully fired an ICBM. These claims were later confirmed by the Trump Administration. The successful launch of the ICBM potentially moved North Korea closer to its goal of striking the United States. Kim Jong Un oversaw the test of a Hwasong-14 missile, according to a July 4 announcement by state Korean Central Television.

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The North Korean leader held a celebratory concert Sunday that featured pop music and a dancing crowd. The concert aired on North Korea’s state broadcaster KRT.

A girl band called Moranbong Band headlined the concert, performing songs such as “Song of Hwasong Rocket” and “Make Others Envy Us,” according to North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency. State and army officials were also present.

Other performers included the pop group Chongbong Band, the State Merited Chorus and the Wangjaesan Art Troupe. Employees and students who also contribute to national defense science and helped with the missile launch were also in attendance, reported KRT.

At the banquet, Kim Jong Un promoted Jang Chang Ha, the president of the Academy of National Defense Science, from Lieutenant General to Colonel General. Footage of the concert showed the crowd cheering and applauding for Kim Jong Un.

“The American bastards must be quite unhappy after closely watching our strategic decision. I guess they are not too happy with the gift package we sent them for the occasion of their independence Day,” the Korean Central News Agency quoted Kim Jong Un saying July 4. “We should often send them gift packages so they won’t be too bored.”

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The missile was launched from the Banghyon airfield in Kusong, North Korea. It flew 578 miles before it landed in the Sea of Japan, the waters between North Korea and Japan, as confirmed by South Korean military officials. It reportedly flew for 37 minutes, according to U.S. Pacific Command.

North Korean media said the Hwasong-14 missile is able to strike the “heart of the United States,” with experts estimating the missile may reach as far as Alaska. The Trump administration said to Pyongyang that the United States would use “the full range of capabilities at our disposal against the growing threat” of North Korea.

No confirmation was reported that the missile re-entered Earth's atmosphere intact. This was North Korea’s eleventh missile launch of 2017.