US, Japan and South Korea condemn North Korea's missile launch

North Korea tested what is believed to be its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in more than four years that splashed down in waters off Japan's western coast on Thursday following which Japan, US and South Korea all condemned the test of a long-range ballistic missile.

The suspected ICBM flew to an altitude of 6,000 kilometres (3,728 miles) and to a distance of 1,080 kilometres (671 miles) with a flight time of 71 minutes.

Japan's Vice Defense Minister Makoto Oniki told reporters Thursday the missile's altitude would suggest it is a "new type of ICBM," a potential sign North Korea is closer to developing weapons capable of targeting the United States, reported CNN News.

In response to Thursday's suspected ICBM test, South Korea's military launched several warning missiles for the first time since 2017, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a text sent to reporters.

"Our military is monitoring North Korean military's movements and has confirmed that we have the capability and posture to accurately strike the origin location of the missile launch and command and support facilities any time North Korea launches a missile," the JCS said.

US President Joe Biden met Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the Group of Seven meetings and condemned North Korea's actions. Taking to Twitter the White House wrote, "@POTUS met with Prime Minister Kishida of Japan at the G7. They discussed North Korea's launch of a long-range ballistic missile, which both leaders strongly condemned, stressed the need for diplomacy, and agreed to continue working together to hold the DPRK accountable."

According to analysts, the recent spate of North Korean missile tests suggests the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, is attempting to show an increasingly turbulent world that Pyongyang remains a player in the struggle for power and influence, reported the news channel.