Kim oversees North Korean ICBM launch

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a test of Pyongyang's newest intercontinental ballistic missile with his daughter in tow for the first time, state media reported.

Declaring he would meet perceived US nuclear threats with nukes of his own, Kim supervised the launch of the black-and-white missile, which the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said was the Hwasong-17 -- dubbed the "monster missile" by analysts.

The launch of the "new major strategic weapon system" was successful, KCNA said.

North Korean state media has never mentioned Kim's children, and this was the first official confirmation that he had a daughter, experts said.

KCNA said that Kim slammed "hysteric aggression war drills", and said that if the United States continued to make threats, Pyongyang would "resolutely react to nukes with nuclear weapons and to total confrontation with all-out confrontation".

North Korea has conducted a record-breaking blitz of launches in recent weeks.

Pyongyang -- and Moscow -- have repeatedly blamed them on Washington's moves to boost the protection it offers to allies Seoul and Tokyo.

KCNA said the latest missile hit a maximum altitude of 6,040.9 kilometres and flew 999.2 kilometres, matching estimates by Seoul and Tokyo.

North Korea previously claimed to have launched a Hwasong-17 -- its most powerful missile to date -- on March 24, releasing a slick promotional video and photos of the event.

Fears have grown that the launches are building up to a nuclear test.