Kim Jong-un has restarted weapons testing after reports claimed North Korea had launched a missile.
South Korean Military said it had fired the missile towards the Sea of Japan.
The terrifying prospect comes as Putin invaded Ukraine with tanks and bombs going off in Kyiv, Ukraine.
It follows intermediate-range ballistic missile which were launched at the end of last month after several tests.
The launch is the eighth successive show of strength by Kim Jong-un and follows a series of tests in the area.
North Korea said it was lifting temporary ban on nuclear and long-range missile tests which it imposed on itself.
A deadlock in nuclear talks with the US still exists despite negotiations between the countries.
An intermediate range ballistic missile named aHwasong-12 was launched by a month ago.
But North Korea has hinted it could restart testing nuclear missiles or nuclear weapon which a far longer reach, after talks stalled to denuclearise.
The Mirror reported at the end of last month that North Korea has boasted of launching a nuclear-capable missile which can reach the US.
This it said was the biggest and most deadly weapon it has tested since 2017.
State media (IRBM) then reported the North Korea had tested a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile
US and South Korean officials warned its aunch could lead to resumed testing of long-range weapons and nuclear bombs.
The January launch was the first time a nuclear-capable missile of that size had been launched since 2017.
Kim Jong-Un earlier said he would 'shake the world' with weapons capable of reaching the US.
Experts also warned he could set of a bomb for the first time in five years to grab US President Joe Biden's attention.
Korea Central News Area (KCNA) said the missile launch was conducted in such a way as to ensure the safety of neighbouring countries, and that the test warhead was fitted with a camera that took photos while it was in space.
North Korea also suggested last month, it could restart those testing activities because the United States and its allies had shown no sign of dropping their "hostile policies”.
A senior US official said the US shared the concerns that North Korea's escalating missile tests could be precursors to resumed tests of nuclear weapons,
"They are looking to take actions, which we believe are fundamentally destabilising, as a way to increase pressure," an official last month told a briefing of journalists in Washington.
