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Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Abe urged the Security Council to respond to the latest nuclear test "in a manner entirely distinct from our responses thus far."
More than 21 ballistic missiles have been launched by North Korea this year alone, Abe said, with several of them reaching waters within Japan's exclusive economic zone -- 200 nautical miles from its coast.
"It is purely a matter of good fortune that no commercial aircraft or ships suffered any damage during this incident," Abe said.
"There is no alternative but to say that the threat has now reached a dimension altogether different from what has transpired until now."
He urged the UN to "indicate an unmistakable attitude to this threat."
Will China act?
'Dirty mouths'
The US on Wednesday also sent two B1-B bombers to fly alongside the Korean demilitarized zone in a show of force to emphasize the "ironclad" bond between Seoul and Washington, 7th Air Force commander Thomas Bergeson said.
"The Park group should clearly understand that remarks made by its dirty mouths and racket of confrontation with the DPRK would precipitate its miserable destruction," the statement said.