The United States has made a direct appeal to North Korea to join direct talks with no preconditions about its nuclear and missile programmes, after Pyongyang sent a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile soaring into space.

“We believe it is completely appropriate and completely correct to start having some serious discussions,” a senior Biden administration official told reporters on Sunday.

The United States, under President Joe Biden, has repeatedly sought talks with North Korea but has been rebuffed each time.

North Korea confirmed Monday it had fired its most powerful missile since 2017, capping a month-long blitz of launches that has raised the spectre of leader Kim Jong Un restarting nuclear tests.

Pyongyang conducted a record seven weapons tests in January, the most ever in a calendar month, as it threatened to abandon a self-imposed moratorium on launching long-range and nuclear weapons, blaming US “hostile” policy for forcing its hand.

North Korean state media said on Monday that the country had test-fired a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile, last launched in 2017, which is powerful enough to put the US territory of Guam in range.

The official said the latest North Korean test was part of an “increasingly destabilising” pattern and in violation of UN Security Council resolutions and therefore international law.

The official spoke after North Korea conducted its largest missile test since 2017 on Sunday. The launch was seen as a step closer to North Korea resuming long-range testing.

The official said “of course we’re concerned” that Pyongyang might resume long-range testing and end its self-imposed moratorium on nuclear testing.

“It requires a response,” he said.

“You will see us taking some steps that are designed to show our commitment to our allies … and at the same time we reiterate our call for diplomacy. We stand ready and we are very serious about trying to have discussions that address concerns on both sides.”

It was the seventh conducted by North Korea this month and the first time a nuclear-capable missile of that size had been launched since 2017.

The launch was first reported by South Korean and Japanese authorities on Sunday, who condemned it as a threat to regional security.

“The inspection firing test was conducted for the purpose of selectively inspecting the ground-to-ground mid-range long-range ballistic missile Hwasong-12 and verifying the overall accuracy of this weapon system,” North Korean state news agency KCNA said. North Korea has previously said the Hwasong-12 can carry a “large-size heavy nuclear warhead.”

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.

Photos released by state media showed space-based images of North Korea and the surrounding areas through a round camera lens. According to analyst, North Korea first took such photos in 2017.