Bangkok - (AFP) - US Vice President Kamala Harris and the leaders of Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Canada pledged pressure on North Korea during a session of emergency talks they held Friday to discuss Pyongyang's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Hours after North Korea launched a missile that Japan said could target the US mainland, Harris met leaders of close US partners on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Island summit in Bangkok.

"We strongly condemn these actions and again call on North Korea to cease any further illegal and destabilizing actions," Harris told reporters as the talks began. "On behalf of the United States, I stress our unwavering commitment to our alliances in the Indo-Pacific region," she added.

Japan reported that the missile landed in its territorial waters.

The launch came after weeks of escalating tension with North Korea, which US intelligence agencies believe is preparing a seventh nuclear test.

A White House statement on the Bangkok talks said the six leaders also warned of a "strong and resolute response" if North Korea conducted a nuclear test.

The statement said the leaders agreed that "the path of dialogue remains open to the DPRK," which they called on to "abandon unnecessary provocations and return to serious and sustainable diplomacy."

In a veiled reference to China, which is the most important lifeline for Pyongyang, the statement called on all UN members to "fully implement" UN Security Council resolutions that imposed broad sanctions on North Korea.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the leaders were also calling for an emergency session of the UN Security Council, where China and Russia in May vetoed a Washington-led effort to toughen sanctions against North Korea.

"It's about the world coming together to condemn North Korea's actions and defend peace and security in our region," Albanese told Australian reporters.

But during the meeting, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida acknowledged concerns that North Korea was ignoring the pressure. "There is a possibility that North Korea will launch more missiles," Kishida said.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Dak-soo stressed that the "blatant" launch should be "never tolerated". "The international community must respond resolutely," Han said.

The meeting is the last in a series of meetings held to discuss the North Korean file.

US President Joe Biden met Sunday with Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Sok-Yul on the sidelines of the Southeast Asian Summit in Cambodia.

The leaders issued a similar warning of a nuclear test, prompting North Korea to denounce the trilateral meeting as evidence of US hostility.

And Friday's meeting showed that the allies will not back down, as three other countries joined their ranks.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he added his voice to allies by "denouncing in the strongest terms" North Korea's "continued and irresponsible actions."

In turn, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern pledged that her country would "continue to respond forcefully," stressing that she understood the "concern" of Japan and South Korea.

Despite the pressure, the Biden administration believes that China remains the country most capable of putting pressure on North Korea.

Biden met Monday with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali and expressed confidence that Beijing shares the same goals regarding North Korea, which is among the world's poorest and most isolated countries.

"I am confident that China does not want North Korea to engage in further escalation," Biden told reporters after the meeting.

Harris is participating in the Asia-Pacific Economic Forum (APEC) after Biden returned to the United States to attend his granddaughter's wedding.

Biden offered to start a working-level dialogue with North Korea, something Pyongyang showed no interest in.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held three showy meetings with Donald Trump, Biden's predecessor, during which he succeeded in easing tensions but without reaching a lasting agreement.

The United States stresses that it will never recognize North Korea as a nuclear power, while most experts believe that Pyongyang will never give up its arsenal.