North Korea has demanded the removal of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from nuclear talks, accusing him of "talking nonsense" and being "reckless".
It comes after North Korea said it had tested a new "tactical guided weapon".
The test is the first since a February summit in Hanoi between the countries' leaders ended without an agreement.
Mr Pompeo visited North Korea four times last year - including for a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Mr Kwon also blamed Mr Pompeo for the abrupt ending to the Hanoi summit.
During discussions in Pyongyang in July, Mr Pompeo was condemned for his "gangster-like" insistence that the country move towards denuclearisation.
This launch is a reminder that North Korea is continuing to create weapons despite facing tough economic sanctions. »