North Korea confirms test-firing of intermediate-range ballistic missile

North Korea has confirmed that it launched Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile, making it the longest-range missile tested by Pyongyang since 2017

North Korea has confirmed that it launched the Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile on Sunday, making it the longest-range missile tested by Pyongyang since 2017, the South Korean Yonhap news agency reports.

"The test-fire was aimed to selectively evaluate the missile being produced and deployed and to verify the overall accuracy of the weapon system," Yonhap quoted the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) as saying on Monday.

According to the South Korean military, the missile was fired from North Korea's Jagang Province toward the East Sea (Sea of Japan) on Sunday and flew about 800 km (497 miles) with the maximum altitude reaching 2,000 km (1,243 miles). On Sunday, the same estimates were given by Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, who said that the missile fell outside of Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone after its estimated 30-minute flight.

"It [the test launch] confirmed the accuracy, security and effectiveness of the operation of the Hwasong 12-type weapon system under production," Yonhap quoted KCNA as saying on Monday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did not attend the Sunday test-firing, Yonhap specified.