A missile was launched in a drill of Hwasong's military units (Photo:Yonhap/VNA)

The missile that North Korea fired on Friday over the Japanese island of Hokkaido is an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said. The Japanese government strongly condemned the missile test, calling it an unacceptable provocation. Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called the test a sign of Pyongyang’s disappointment at the UN’s new sanctions. The UN Security Council agreed on Monday to increase sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear test earlier this month.

The US Defense Secretary James Mattis said that senior US officials have discussed collaborative actions in response Pyongyang’s missile test.