North Korea announced that it had successfully carried out a test of a hypersonic missile on Sunday - coming within 24 hours following the Trump-ordered US military raid on Caracas to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

According to a statement released by North Korean state media, "A sub-unit under a major firing strike group of the Korean People’s Army conducted a missile launching drill on January 4." The timing is unmistakably meant as a signal and warning to Washington, and to America's staunchest allies in the region.

The statement continued, "The drill was conducted as part of the operational evaluation of the sustainability, effectiveness, and operation of the DPRK’s war deterrent while evaluating the readiness of the hypersonic weapon system, verifying and confirming its capability for fulfilling mission and developing the missile soldiers’ firing capability."

Pyongyang framed it as a nuclear preparedness test, though thankfully there was no actual live test of a nuclear warhead, which hasn't happened in some time.

The missile test was overseen by Kim Jong-un, who said, "To be honest, our such activity is clearly aimed at gradually putting the nuclear war deterrent on a highly developed basis."

Importantly, Kim - who has long headed up a country Washington has dubbed a 'rogue state' - indirectly referenced the fresh US overthrow of Venezuela's Maduro. He stressed: "The reason why it is necessary is exemplified by the recent geopolitical crisis and complicated international events."

Internationally, most countries allied with the US and Europe see Kim as even 'worse' than Maduro - though of course the huge difference in the situation is Kim's possession of nukes. The United States doesn't dare try and start 'invasions' of nuclear-armed powers.

Kim has often reflected in speeches on the lessons of Iraq and Libya - where the US and West overthrew Saddam and Gaddafi. Had they possessed a nuclear capability, he argues, they would have never been removed and killed. Of course, he's right from a strategic point of view - and the leadership of Iran is no doubt nervously taking all this in too.

As for the fresh Venezuela case, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry did make clear the country's stance on the issue, in its statement saying:

"The incident is another example that clearly confirms once again the rogue and brutal nature of the US which the international community has so frequently witnessed for a long time."

"The Foreign Ministry of the DPRK strongly denounces the U.S. hegemony-seeking act committed in Venezuela as the most serious form of encroachment of sovereignty and as a wanton violation of the UN Charter and international laws with respect for sovereignty, non-interference and territorial integrity as their main purpose."

While the pace of North Korean missile tests has slowed of late, this latest follows a series of tests which marked an uptick late last year, including the launch of a long-range strategic cruise missile and testing of a newly developed anti-aircraft system.

Some past war-mongering from the Left, a longtime bipartisan orientation:

During the first Trump administration, Kim met the US president on a series of occasions. While historic, it didn't lead to the kind of breakthrough on 'de-nuclearization' that Washington and Seoul were hoping for, and Pyongyang has gone back to being on the extreme defensive.