North Korea's former propaganda chief, credited with masterminding the personality cult surrounding the ruling Kim dynasty, has died, state media said Wednesday, with leader Kim Jong Un photographed bowing at his funeral bier.

Tokyo also confirmed the launch, with the Japanese defence ministry saying "a suspected ballistic missile was launched from North Korea" in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Seoul and Washington say Kim has been shipping weapons to Russia, possibly in exchange for Moscow's technical assistance for Pyongyang's budding spy satellite programme.

Video in state media showed the missile being carried into position on its launching vehicle, as Kim and an array of uniformed soldiers stood by watching, before the missile blasts off, trailing plumes of smoke and flames.

Seoul's military said the missile, launched early Tuesday, flew around 600 kilometres (373 miles) before splashing down in waters between South Korea and Japan.

"A ground jet test of a solid-fuel engine for new-type intermediate-range hypersonic missile, which is of another strategic value," KCNA said.

Seoul's Unification Ministry on Monday added its voice to growing speculation around Kim Jong Un's succession plans, saying they have not "ruled out" that his daughter could be next in line to lead North Korea.

North Korea leader Kim Jong Un drove a "new-type main battle tank" while overseeing military training exercises, state media said Thursday, as Seoul and Washington wrap joint drills to improve deterrence.

So far this year, Kim has declared South Korea his country's "principal enemy", jettisoned agencies dedicated to reunification and outreach, and threatened war over "even 0.001 mm" of territorial infringement.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test launch of a new strategic cruise missile from a submarine, state media said Monday, the latest tension-raising move by the nuclear-armed state.

China's vice foreign minister was in Pyongyang on Friday for a meeting with his North Korean counterpart.

After years of worsening ties, Pyongyang made it official this week: declaring Seoul its main enemy, abolishing agencies dedicated to reunification and threatening to occupy the South during war.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met North Korea's top diplomat in the Kremlin on Tuesday in the latest sign of deepening ties between the two authoritarian states.

The launch, Pyongyang's first known weapons test this year and its first ever test of a solid-fuel hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), was detected by Seoul's military Sunday afternoon.

North Korea's Kim Jong Un branded South Korea his country's "principal enemy" and warned he would not hesitate to annihilate it as he toured major weapons factories, state media said Wednesday.

Pyongyang launched more than 200 artillery rounds in the maritime buffer zone as bordering areas in the south were evacuated

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for expanded production of missile launchers in preparation for a "military showdown" with South Korea and the United States, state media said Friday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un urged his party to "accelerate" war preparations including its nuclear programme, state media said Thursday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to accelerate his country's nuclear build-up and warned Washington against making a "wrong decision" after overseeing the launch of the country's most powerful ballistic missile, state media said Tuesday.

South Korea said the North fired an ICBM that used solid fuel, which makes missiles easier to transport and faster to fire than liquid-fuelled versions.

The United States on Wednesday slapped sanctions on a crypto mixer that it said was serving as a money laundering tool for hackers affiliated with the North Korean government.

The "Malligyong-1" was launched Tuesday, Pyongyang's third attempt at securing a military eye in the sky after two failures in May and August, with Kim Jong Un already reviewing images of US military bases in Guam, the North's state media has reported.

North Korea has issued formal notice of a satellite launch as early as Wednesday, Japan said, defying warnings from South Korea and multiple UN resolutions banning Pyongyang from using ballistic missile technology.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting key regional ally South Korea on Thursday for talks set to focus on security, as North Korea ramps up military cooperation with Russia.

The veteran envoy's two-day visit is expected to lay the groundwork for a future trip to the country by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was invited by leader Kim Jong Un last month at a high-profile summit in Russia's far east.

The World Anti-Doping Agency warned the Olympic Council of Asia of "consequences" on Friday for allowing the North Korean flag to be repeatedly flown at the Asian Games, saying they were treating it "extremely seriously".

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Tuesday against a new atomic arms race bringing the threat of "annihilation" to the world, as North Korea charged that its peninsula was on the brink of nuclear war.

North Korea's Kim Jong Un expressed his "heartfelt thanks" to President Vladimir Putin, state media said Monday, as he headed home after nearly a week in Russia on a defence-focused trip.

The U.S. has already agreed to defend South Korea under international law and has also promised to deploy nuclear weapons if necessary.

The U.S. and South Korea have increased joint military drills in the region to oppose North Korea's increasing aggression.