Seoul and Tokyo yesterday played down North Korea's apparent missile launch into the Sea of Japan at the weekend, but analysts interpreted the move as a sign that Pyongyang was trying to force Washington to take it more seriously.

Amid fears that Pyongyang might be reprocessing plutonium from its Yongbyon power plant and could even be preparing for a nuclear test, Sunday's missile firing, although only short-range, was a provocative gesture at a delicate moment in the North Korean nuclear stalemate.