North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has pledged to develop "overwhelming" and unstoppable military might, state media said Monday, just days after presiding over the country's largest missile launch.

Kim's remarks come on the heels of Pyongyang successfully launching an intercontinental ballistic missile at the full range on Thursday, defying punishing international sanctions for the first time since 2017.

The Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile was initially displayed in October 2020 and was nicknamed a "monster missile" by analysts.

"Only when one is armed with formidable striking capabilities and unstoppable military might can one avoid war, ensure the country's security, and contain and subdue all imperialist threats and blackmail," Kim told launch workers, KCNA reported.

"We will continue to work toward strengthening our nation's defense capabilities."

The North Korean missile launched Thursday — one of almost a dozen this year — traveled higher and further than any previous intercontinental ballistic missile tested by the nuclear-armed regime, including one capable of striking anyplace on the US mainland.

According to analysts, the successful launch may have bolstered Kim's belief that his country is on the right track toward nuclear deterrence and that additional such tests are likely.

When Kim and then-US President Donald Trump engaged in a high-profile diplomatic effort that collapsed in 2019, long-range and nuclear testing were suspended. Since then, negotiations have stopped.

The launch occurs at a precarious time for the region, with South Korea undergoing a presidential transition until May and the US preoccupied with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.