North Korea has test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan, officials in Tokyo and Washington say.

The missile was launched from North Korea's Jangang province at 11.40pm local time (4.10pm in the UK) and flew for 45 minutes, before landing off the country's east coast.

The missile may have flown higher than 3,000km (1,864 miles), a Japanese defence official told state media.

Analysts said that if the maximum altitude and flight time are correct the missile would be capable of travelling at least 10,400km (6,460 miles) - putting Los Angeles, Denver and Chicago within range.

But state media KCNA reported North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un as saying all the US mainland was within striking range and that he could strike "at any place and time".


Image: The missile landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held an emergency meeting to discuss the launch, which he said showed the "grave and real" threat posed by Pyongyang.

He said: "As long as North Korea continues such provocative actions, there is no avoiding maintaining close contact with the international community - starting with the United States, South Korea, China and Russia - and further strengthening the pressure."

Meanwhile, France called on fellow members of the UN Security Council to adopt "strong and additional sanctions" against North Korea.

"Only maximum diplomatic pressure is likely to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table," foreign ministry spokeswoman Agnes Romatet-Espagne said.

Mr Trump will soon sign off a sanctions bill banning North Korean ships from docking or operating in US waters.

Any goods produced in the reclusive country's forced labour camps will also be prohibited from entering the US.

Image: Kim Jong-Un celebrates the ICBM launch in early July

In response to the test-firing, US and South Korean troops staged a joint missile exercise.

The launch comes less than a month after the reclusive state tested its first long-range missile, which was allegedly capable of carrying a "large, heavy nuclear warhead".

Analysts said the "landmark" Hwasong-14 missile, which flew for around 40 minutes, could reach Alaska.

US secretary of state Rex Tillerson described the test as a "new escalation of threat" to the world, while President Trump called on China to "put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all".