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North Korea launched the missile at around 3am local time (6pm GMT) yesterday, sparking a furious response from Seoul. Within minutes of North Korea's ICBM launch, South Korea had fired its own missile launch in retaliation. The North Korean missile was fired eastwards from the hermit state. The missile landed about 210km west of Japan's Kyurokujima island, Tokyo said. Japanese media reports the missile was in the air for 50 minutes - indicating a very high altitude flight path. NORTH KOREA'S TIMELINE TO NUCLEAR WAR

GETTY North Korea has launched a ballistic missile

It travelled east for around 620 miles and to an altitude of 2,500 miles before crashing into the Sea of Japan. US leader Donald Trump was briefed on the missile while it was still in the air. He spoke by phone with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-In, with all three leaders reaffirming their commitment to combat the North Korean threat. Mr Trump said: “It is a situation we will handle.” He said the launch did not change his administration's approach to North Korea, which has included new curbs to hurt trade between China and North Korea, which it sees as important to deterring Pyongyang from its ambition to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the United States.

Inside North Korea: The pictures Kim Jong-un doesn't want you to see Thu, March 8, 2018 Photographer Eric Lafforgue ventured to North Korea six times. Thanks to digital memory cards, he was able to save photos that was forbidden to take inside the segregated state Play slideshow Eric Lafforgue/Exclusivepix Medi 1 of 69 Taking pictures in the DMZ is easy, but if you come too close to the soldiers, they stop you

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said the ICBM went "higher frankly than any previous shot they've taken". He warned the missile demonstrated North Korea had the ability to hit "everywhere in the world" during a regular news briefing. Washington has said repeatedly said that all options, including military ones, are on the table in dealing with North Korea while stressing its desire for a peaceful solution. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson added: "Diplomatic options remain viable and open, for now."

GETTY North Korea has carried out several missile tests this evening

And the Union of Concerned Scientists said North Korea's missile launch could have put even Washington in range. This late-night launch is rare, with most taking place during daylight hours. The new Hwasong-15, named after the planet Mars, was a more advanced version of an ICBM tested twice in July, North Korea said, adding "it was designed to carry a "super-large heavy warhead". The United States and Japan have asked for a United Nations Security Council meeting today over the test, diplomats said. A South Korean military official said yesterday “We confirm that we have detected a North Korean ballistic missile launch. The missile is still travelling towards the direction to the East Sea, as we are monitoring right now. “North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile early this morning from Pyongsong, South Pyongan to the east direction. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff is analysing more details of the missile with the US side.” An emergency meeting of Japan’s cabinet over conference call was scheduled for 3.30am local time (6.30pm GMT) yesterday.

GETTY South Korea launched a missile in retaliation

President Jae-in said the missile was a threat to "world peace". He added: "The situation could get out of control if North Korea perfects its ICBM technology. "North Korea shouldn't miscalculate the situation and threaten South Korea with a nuclear weapon, which could elicit a possible pre-emptive strike by the United States," after a national security council meeting. China expressed "grave concern" on Wednesday morning, with the foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang telling a regular news briefing the country wanted all parties act cautiously to preserve peace and stability. While, the UK's Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, tweeted: "Another illegal missile launch from DPRK. This is not the path to security and prosperity for the North Korean people. DPRK regime must change course." North Korea's missile experts were given a rallying message from Kim Jong-un before they fired the ICBM in a strike capable to hitting the USA, it has now emerged. State television broadcast a photo of Kim’s signed order, where he wrote: “Test launch is approved. Taking place at the daybreak of November 29! Fire with courage for the party and country!”

GETTY North Korea released images of the deadly missile

The Pentagon said last night it had detected a “probable” missile launch. Spokesman Colonel Robert Manning said: “We detected a probable missile launch from North Korea. We are in the process of assessing the situation and will provide additional details when available.” South Korean news agency Yonhap said: “North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile from South Pyongan Province early Wednesday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. “The missile flew eastward and the South Korean military is analyzing details with the US, it said.” Jeffrey Lewis, head of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute of Strategic Studies, said: "We don't have to like it, but we're going to have to learn to live with North Korea's ability to target the United States with nuclear weapons."

REUTERS South Korea's Hyunmoo II missile is fired during an exercise at an undefined location

It is North Korea's first missile launch since mid-September, when it fired a missile over Japan. The missile launch comes just hours after US government sources warned a North Korea missile launch could take place in the "next few days". And on Tuesday North Korea issued a sabre-rattling statement in a state-run propaganda newspaper. The mouthpiece for Kim’s one-party government said: “The army and people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will surely accelerate the final victory in the standoff with the US.

EXPRESS The missile is believed to have landed in the sea in Japan's exclusive economic zone

“The US is driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of war by mobilising huge aggression forces while tightening the sanctions upon the DPRK.” It came a week after President Trump put North Korea back on a US list of countries it says support terrorism, allowing it to impose more sanctions. The test also follows a dramatic defection to South Korea by a North Korean soldier on November 13, who braved a hail of bullets by fellow soldiers as he crossed the heavily fortified border dividing the two Koreas. Neither the North Korean government nor its state media have made any mention of the defection, which dominated headlines in South Korea and in international media for days.

GETTY The map shows where the missile was launched from and where it hit