BBC and Reuters reporting 14 May
The Japanese defence minister says the missile, which launched from north-western Kusong, reached an altitude of 2,000km, higher than that reached by an intermediate-range missile North Korea fired in February.Tomomi Inada said it covered a distance of about 700km (435 miles).
South Korea's newly elected President Moon Jae-in, who is seeking deeper engagement with the North, said it was a "reckless provocation".
China says they oppose the tests that run counter to UN resolutions and urges all sides to show restraint,while the Kremlin says Putin is concerned about N Korean missile launch.
The nature of the launch is still being determined, but analysts have said the test could suggest a longer range than previously tested devices.
Experts quoted by Reuters say the altitude meant the missile was launched at a high trajectory, limiting the lateral distance it travelled. They say if it had been fired at a standard trajectory, it would have had a range of at least 4,000km.
The US Pacific Command said in a statement the type was being assessed but that its flight was not consistent with that of an intercontinental ballistic missile [ICBM], which would have the range to reach the US mainland (more than 6,000km).
North Korea is believed to be developing two types of ICBM, but neither has so far been flight tested.
A show of strength/posturing is hardly a surprise in the wake of Moon's election but keep an eye out, as always, for any further escalation.
