North Korea has fired a missile in the Sea of Japan, after previously threatening retaliation against the US and South Korea. The US and South Korea had been preparing for joint military drills.

The North Korean government has confirmed that the missile it tested on Saturday was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The US Indo-Pacific Command has said that it is aware of the launch.

The missile was fired into the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of Japan off the coast of Hokkaido. Japan has condemned the launch and called for the North Korean government to cease its provocative actions.

The international community has expressed concern about the launch and the US has called for the UN Security Council to take action.

This latest missile launch is the first since North Korea’s 2017 test of an intercontinental ballistic missile and has raised tensions in the region.