Updated July 04, 2017 15:35:01

Photo: The launch is the latest in a string of recent test-firings from North Korea. (Reuters: Kim Hong-Ji)

North Korea has launched another ballistic missile in the direction of Japan, prompting US President Donald Trump to declare it is "hard to believe South Korea and Japan will put up with this much longer".

The intermediate-range ballistic missile "greatly exceeded" an altitude of 2,500 kilometres, Japan's Defence Ministry said, and flew about 930 kilometres for around 40 minutes before landing in Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone.

The launch added to a string of recent test-firings as the North works to build a nuclear-tipped missile that could reach the US.

On Twitter Mr Trump, presumably referring to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, questioned whether "this guy [has] anything better to do with his life".

Mr Trump went on to suggest China could "perhaps" take action against North Korea "and end this nonsense once and for all!"

The missile was launched about 10:40am (AEST) from an airfield in Panghyon, about 100 kilometres north-west of the North's capital, Pyongyang, the South Korean military said.

South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said the military was analysing the missile, and examining the possibility it may have been an intercontinental ballistic missile-class (ICBM) rocket.

Analysts and officials have described North Korea as "unpredictable", but Stan Grant writes that the Kim regime is anything but.

Mr Moon told a national security council meeting at the presidential Blue House that he was deeply disappointed North Korea had launched the missile only days after he and Mr Trump called for restraint.

It was the fourth ballistic missile launched by the North since Mr Moon took office in May, vowing to use dialogue as well as pressure to bring Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes under control.

The US military's Pacific Command said the projectile was a single, land-based intermediate range ballistic missile, and was tracked for 37 minutes before it landed in the Sea of Japan.

"The North American Aerospace Defence Command assessed that the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America," it said in a statement.

Japan's Abe to call for 'solidarity' on North Korea

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said North Korea was ignoring repeated warnings from the international community, and flagged that he will ask the presidents of China and Russia to play more constructive roles in efforts to stop its arms programme.

North Korea could have a weapon capable of striking the US west coast within four years, according to a former CIA officer.

The launch came ahead of a summit of leaders from the Group of 20 countries in Germany later this week.

The leaders of the US, China, Japan and South Korea are expected to discuss efforts to rein in the North's nuclear and missile tests at the talks on July 7 to 8.

"Leaders of the world will gather at the G20 meeting. I would like to strongly call for solidarity of the international community on the North Korean issue," Mr Abe told reporters.

The missile launch also comes ahead of July 4 Independence Day celebrations in the United States.

North Korea has previously fired missiles around the US holiday.

The launch would be the latest in a series by North Korea since the start of the year and comes just one day after Mr Trump spoke to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about the issue.

Reuters/AP

Topics: world-politics, unrest-conflict-and-war, korea-democratic-people-s-republic-of

First posted July 04, 2017 11:16:52