North Korea fires missile over Japan in ’unprecedented threat’

He said his government was doing its utmost to protect people's lives.

North Korea's conventional and nuclear weapons programmes are a breach of UN resolutions, so the test is being seen as a major provocation and an escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula.

Earlier this month, President Trump warned Pyongyang would face "fire and fury" if it continued to threaten the US, while North Korea threatened to fire missiles towards the US Pacific territory of Guam,

There have also been some reports in recent months that North Korea is preparing to carry out its sixth nuclear test.

But last week, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the fact that North Korea had not carried out any missile launches since the UN imposed a fresh round of sanctions was an indication of restraint by Pyongyang.

North Korea's missile programme:

• North Korea has been working on its missile programme for decades, with weapons based on the Soviet-developed Scud
• It has conducted short- and medium-range tests on many occasions, sometimes to mark domestic events or at times of regional tension
• In recent months the pace of testing has increased; experts say North Korea appears to be making significant advances towards its goal of building a reliable long-range nuclear-capable weapon
• In July, North Korea launched two missiles which it said were Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) capable of hitting the US; experts believe they put parts of the US in range
• There is no consensus on how close North Korea is to miniaturising a nuclear warhead to put on a missile