A photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows people waving as an unidentified intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is displayed during a military parade at Kim Il Sung Square to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army (KPA), the revolutionary armed forces of the Worker's Party of Korea (WPK) in Pyongyang, North Korea, Feb. 8. EPA-Yonhap

The European Union on Saturday denounced North Korea's "reckless" firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile that landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone, and called for an "appropriate response" from the U.N.

The launch, Pyongyang's first in seven weeks, comes days before Seoul and Washington are due to start joint tabletop exercises aimed at improving their response in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack.

"The launch by the DPRK of a long-range missile today was a dangerous and reckless action that endangers international and regional peace and security," said a spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

"It shows that the DPRK's nuclear and missile program threatens all countries and requires an appropriate response by the UN Security Council," she added.

South Korea, US conduct joint air drills in response to North Korea's ICBM test 2023-02-19 16:40  |  North Korea Top diplomats of S. Korea, US, Japan condemn N. Korean missile launch 2023-02-19 11:41  |  North Korea N. Korea says it fired Hwasong-15 ICBM at lofted angle 2023-02-19 08:57  |  North Korea She repeated the EU's appeal to North Korea to halt its ballistic missile launches and turn instead to "constructive dialogue with the United States and the Republic of Korea".

The only route to sustainable peace and security in the region is through the DPRK engaging in actions aimed at ensuring the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," she added.

"The EU is ready to support a new process of diplomacy."

A Japanese government spokesman told reporters that North Korea had "fired one ICBM-class ballistic missile", which flew for some 66 minutes before landing in the country's exclusive economic zone. (AFP)