North Korea confirms ballistic missile launch on January 30

North Korea has confirmed it had launched a Hwasong-12 ballistic missile on January 30, the same weapon it once threatened to target the US territory of Guam with "enveloping fire," sparking fears the nuclear-armed state could resume long-range testing, Report informs referring to Reuters.

The launch of the intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) was first reported by South Korean and Japanese authorities on Sunday. It was the seventh test conducted by North Korea this month and the first time a nuclear-capable missile of that size has been launched since 2017.

The United States is concerned North Korea's escalating missile tests could be precursors to resumed tests of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and vowed an unspecified response "designed to show our commitment to our allies," a senior US official told reporters in Washington.

"It's not just what they did yesterday, it's the fact that this is coming on the heels of quite a significant number of tests in this month," the official said, while urging Pyongyang to join direct talks with no preconditions.