North Korea Claims The Missile Tested On Sunday Was A Hwasong-12.

North Korea has confirmed that it tested a Hwasong-12 "mid-range ballistic missile" on Sunday, marking the first time it has done so since 2017.

On Sunday morning, both Japan and South Korea detected the launch of a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), the seventh such test this month.

The test was condemned by both countries as a threat to regional security, with South Korean officials warning that the launch might lead to the resumption of long-range missiles and nuclear weapons testing.

"The inspection fire test was conducted for the goal of selectively checking the ground-to-ground mid-range long-range ballistic missile Hwasong-12 and validating the overall accuracy of this weapon system," according to the North Korean state news agency KCNA.

The Hwasong-12 can carry a "large-size heavy nuclear warhead," according to North Korea.

The Hwasong-12 can carry a "large-size heavy nuclear warhead," according to North Korea.

The missile launch was carried out in such a way as to safeguard the safety of neighboring countries, according to KCNA, and the test warhead was equipped with a camera that took images while in space.

State media released photos of space-based views of North Korea and its environs taken with a circular camera lens. According to observers, North Korea first took such photos in 2017.

The United States has expressed alarm about the mounting tests, which have made January one of Pyongyang's busiest months in terms of its weapons program.