North Korea confirmed on Monday it had tested a Hwasong-12 "mid-range ballistic missile" on Sunday, according to state news agency KCNA, and released photos purporting to show a successful test launch, DW reports.
North Korea said the missile was launched toward the waters off its east coast and on a high angle to prevent it from flying over other countries.
KCNA reported that the purpose of the test was to verify the overall accuracy of the missile.
The South Korean and Japanese government were the first to report North Korea's test Sunday.
South Korea's joint chiefs of staff reported that a projectile believed to be a single missile was launched at around 7:52 a.m. local time (2252 UTC) from North Korea's northern Jagang province.
Later on Sunday, the joint chiefs of staff reported that the projectile had been identified as a medium-range missile that had flown 800 kilometers (circa 500 miles) toward the open sea, reaching a maximum altitude of 2,000 kilometers.
The Hwasong-12 is a nuclear-capable ground-to-ground missile. It has a maximum range of 4,500 kilometers if fired on a standard trajectory.
The reported flight details make it the most powerful missile North Korea has tested since 2017, when the country launched Hwasong-12 and longer-range missiles.
Japan's defense ministry and prime minister's office said the weapon was possibly a ballistic missile.
Japan's coast guard issued a maritime safety warning, but there were no immediate reports of damage to boats or aircraft.
North Korea has intensified weapons testing recently in the face of stalled diplomacy with the United States.
Sunday's weapons test was North Korea's seventh this year.
