North Korea claims to have successfully tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) - contradicting US and South Korean officials who earlier said it was an intermediate-range missile.
The latest in a series of test-firings appears to be the secretive state's longest-range ballistic missile launch to date - and comes as America prepared to mark its independence day.
US weapons analysts said the missile was capable of reaching Alaska, as US President Donald Trump urged China to "end this nonsense once and for all".
In January, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un boasted the country was in the final stages of preparing to test launch its first ICBM - a further step towards his declared goal of a nuclear weapons system capable of hitting the US mainland.
"It won't happen," Mr Trump vowed at the time.
If Tuesday's launch is confirmed as an ICBM, it would be considered a game-changer by countries looking to check North Korea's attempts to build a nuclear-tipped missile that could reach the United States.
The "landmark" Hwasong-14 missile launch from Pyongyang's North Phyongan province was overseen by Mr Kim, state TV said.
A female broadcaster proclaimed the North "a strong nuclear power state" which had "a very powerful ICBM that can strike any place in the world".
It reached an altitude of 2,802km (1,740 miles) and flew 933km (580 miles) for about 40 minutes before landing in the Sea of Japan in the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said: "We assume it a medium long-range ballistic missile. But we still plan to devise necessary measures assuming it may have been an ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile).
"If it is ICBM, we will need to come up with the corresponding measures."
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