The projectile, launched early on Monday local time, is believed to have traveled around 450 kilometers (280 miles) before falling into the Sea of Japan. The US Pacific Command said the short-range Scud-class ballistic missile was tracked for six minutes before it disappeared.
According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, the launch came from the North's coastal town of Wonsan, some 200 kilometers east of the capital Pyongyang.
File footage of a missile test in April
While Japan strongly condemned the launch, warning that the missile posed a major risk to airplanes and ships in the area, a government spokesperson said it had received no reports of damage.
Read more: North Korea's reality hits home in South
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed to take "concrete action" with the US against North Korea following what is believed to be the 12th ballistic missile launch this year.
"We will never tolerate North Korea's continued provocations that ignore repeated warnings by the international community," he told reporters on Monday.
-
ICBM threat and North Korea's overall military strength
Major achievement
In early June 2017, North Korea test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time. Testing an ICBM marked a major military achievement for Pyongyang and a serious escalation of tensions with the United States and its allies in the region, particularly South Korea and Japan.
-
ICBM threat and North Korea's overall military strength
Trouble with warheads
At the time, defense experts said the ICBM could reach as far as the US states of Alaska and Hawaii. However, it was unclear if North Korea can field an ICBM capable of carrying a nuclear warhead on its cone that could survive reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. North Korean state media claimed the ICBM was capable of carrying a "large, heavy nuclear warhead" to any part of the United States.
-
ICBM threat and North Korea's overall military strength
Pyongyang's nuclear tests - six times and counting
The ICBM is believed to be a step forward in the North's nuclear program. Despite pressure from the international community, Pyongyang has made no secret of its nuclear ambitions. Alongside its ritual ballistic missile tests, North Korea has conducted nuclear tests on at least six occasions, including one in September 2017.
-
ICBM threat and North Korea's overall military strength
US running out of patience?
Responding to the first ICBM test with a show of force, the US and South Korean troops on conducted "deep strike" precision missile drills using Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and the Republic of Korea's Hyunmoo Missile II. In April, the US sent its Carl Vinson aircraft carrier towards the Korean Peninsula, saying it was taking prudent measures against the North.
-
ICBM threat and North Korea's overall military strength
Testing the boundaries
Ignoring international condemnation, Pyongyang test-launched another rocket on July 28, 2017, just weeks after its first ICBM test. In both of the tests, North Korea used Hwasong-14 missile, but the second one reached a higher altitude and traveled a larger distance than the first one, according to the state media.
-
ICBM threat and North Korea's overall military strength
Whole of US within range?
Pyongyang conducted its third test November 29, using a newly developed Hwasong-15 missile. US, Japanese and South Korean officials said it rose to about 4,500 km (2,800 miles) and flew 960 kilometers (600 miles) over about 50 minutes before landing in Japan's exclusive economic zone off the country's coast.
-
ICBM threat and North Korea's overall military strength
One of the world's largest militaries
Apart from a developing missile and nuclear program, North Korea has a powerful army with 700,000 active troops and another 4.5 million in the reserves. It can call upon almost a quarter of its population to serve in the army at any given time. The North's bloated army is believed to outnumber its southern neighbor's by two-to-one.
-
ICBM threat and North Korea's overall military strength
Vast capabilities
According to the 2017 Global Firepower Index, the North has, as part of a far-reaching arsenal, 458 fighter aircraft, 5,025 combat tanks, 76 submarines, and 5,200,000 total military personnel. The picture above from 2013 shows leader Kim Jong Un ordering strategic rocket forces to be on standby to strike US and South Korean targets at any time.
-
ICBM threat and North Korea's overall military strength
Enemies all around
Alongside the United States, Pyongyang views its neighbors South Korea and Japan as its two other main enemies. North Korea has used US military exercises in the region as means of galvanizing its people, claiming that the exercises are dress rehearsals for an impending invasion.
-
ICBM threat and North Korea's overall military strength
Huge, colorful demonstrations of military might
Every year, hundreds of thousands of soldiers and citizens roll through the streets of the capital Pyongyang to take part in the North's military parades. Preparations for the rallies often begin months in advance, and the parades usually mark important anniversaries linked with the Communist Party or Kim Jong Un's family.
Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said in televised remarks that "this ballistic missile launch by North Korea is highly problematic from the perspective of the safety of shipping and air traffic and is a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions."
Suga added that "Japan absolutely cannot tolerate North Korea's repeated provocative actions."
South Korea's recently elected president, Moon Jae-in, called a meeting of the National Security Council immediately following the launch.
At the weekend,the Group of Seven (G7) leaders agreed to adopt common language on North Korea following its latest series of ballistic missile tests, as the reclusive state seeks to ramp up its weapons program and develop nuclear-tipped missiles capable of reaching the US mainland.
A declaration published by the G7 leaders in Sicily said that Pyongyang poses an increasing threat of a "grave nature" to international peace and stability, while all states pledged to strengthen measures unless the North agreed to abandon its nuclear program.
Trump briefed on test launch
US President Donald Trump tweeted later on Monday that Pyongyang had "shown great disrespect for their neighbor, China, by shooting off yet another ballistic missile."
Trump has sought tougher sanctions against the North, having warned last month that a "major, major conflict" with the isolated state was possible.
However, both the US and North Korea have recently made comments suggesting that a meeting between the two sides could still be possible in the "right" circumstances.
North-South rapprochement unlikely
South Korea's Moon had signaled a more flexible approach to dealing with Kim Jong Un's regime in the North, having restarted stalled civilian aid and exchange programs. However, analysts don't believe that the new president will push for a major rapprochement, saying Pyongyang has gone too far with its nuclear ambitions.
Read more: Will Moon's olive branch to North Korea bear fruit?
Aside from the commonplace ballistic missile tests, North Korea conducted two nuclear tests last year, in January and September.
While it is widely believed that the North is able to arm its shorter-range missile with nuclear warheads, the precise extent of its weapons program remains unknown.
dm,mm/jm (Reuters, AFP, AP)