North Korea celebrates 'successful' missile launch with pictures Kim Jong-un grinning as rocket blasts off

North Korea on Sunday tested another midrange ballistic missile, in its latest move towards developing a rocket capable of striking the United States with a nuclear warhead.

The projectile was fired in the late afternoon from an area near Pukchang, northeast of the capital, Pyongyang, and flew eastward about 310 miles, towards the Sea of Japan.

North Korea confirmed on Monday the "successful" launch of the missile, which state controlled media said was a Pukguksong-2, a land-based version of Pyongyang's submarine-launched weapon which uses solid-fuel which allows for immediate firing.

Leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw the launch, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported, adding that he "approved the deployment of this weapon system."

"Now that its tactical and technical data met the requirements of the Party, this type of missile should be rapidly mass-produced in a serial way to arm the KPA Strategic Force," Kim said, referring to the North's army, KCNA reported.

The test was confirmed by US Pacific Command in Hawaii, who immediately confirmed their “ironclad commitment” to the security of allies South Korea and Japan.

The missile landed outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone and did not hit any ships or airplanes, but Japan immediately registered its protest against the latest provocation.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he wanted a “thorough discussion” of North Korea’s missile launches when the G7 summit meets later this month in Italy.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said both economic and diplomatic pressure will continue to be applied to North Korea in the wake of the ballistic missile launch.

"The ongoing testing is disappointing, disturbing and we ask that they cease that," MR Tillerson said on Sunday in an interview with "Fox News Sunday."

New South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who was only elected two weeks ago, immediately convened a National Security Council meeting to discuss the latest crisis.

Hours earlier, Moon had announced his key cabinet members, including the country’s first female foreign minister.

His new National Security Chief, Chung Eui-yong, had said that South Korea should “take the lead” in restoring frosty inter-Korea relations, pledging to ease mounting tensions on the Korean peninsula.

“It is quite unnatural to see suspension in the talks between the two Koreas,” he said.

But Pyongyang’s constant missile tests will likely thwart the ambitions of Moon and his new administration to open up early peace negotiations directly with the hermit state.

Sunday’s launch comes just one week after North Korea successfully tested another medium range missile, named the Hwasong-12.

Experts said that rocket soared to an altitude of 1,312 miles and flew for a longer time than any other missile previously tested by the North, inching it closer to being able to strike targets as far away as Alaska or Hawaii.

John Schilling, an expert on North Korea’s nuclear programme, writing for the 38 North website, said the missile displayed the Pyongyang’s best level of performance yet.

“It appears to have not only demonstrated an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) that might enable them to reliably strike the US base at Guam, but more importantly, may represent a substantial advance to developing an intercontinental ballistic missile,” he wrote.

The number of North Korean missile tests has seen a rapid increase under dictator Kim Jong-un.

North Korea has averaged one missile launch every two weeks in 2017, pointed out Shea Cotton, from the California-based James Martin Center for Non-proliferation Studies, last week.

Pyongyang has long had missiles that can reach targets across South Korea and Japan, where tens of thousands of US troops are based.

A recent analysis by the Washington Post speculated that Kim Jong-un harboured ambitions to be able to strike the key targets of San Diego, home port of the Pacific Fleet, Washington DC, and Louisiana, which hosts the Air Force Global Strike Command.

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