North Korea says it conducted the previous day a "surprise" drill of the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile on a lofted trajectory amid military threats from the United States and South Korea.
The foreign ministers of Japan, the United States and South Korea "strongly condemned" North Korea's latest firing of an ICBM-class missile, pledging to work closely together to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, the Japanese Foreign Ministry says.
North Korea has launched two suspected ballistic missiles, the Japanese government says, as Pyongyang steps up its missile and weapons development programs in the face of tougher international sanctions.
North Korea says it has successfully test-fired a "high-thrust solid-fuel motor" with 140 tons of thrust, according to state media, as the country seeks to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of being launched with a shorter preparation time.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen the test-firing of two long-range strategic cruise missiles in person on Oct. 12, the country s official media reports.