North Korea’s suspected missile test at the weekend was not a major worry for the region since it appeared to be a short-range weapon incapable of carrying a nuclear warhead, officials said on Monday. But the test would strain efforts to restart talks on Pyongyang’s nuclear programmes, they said.North Korea test-launched what appeared to be a short-range missile into the Sea of Japan on Sunday, US officials said. The test came as Washington officials indicated Pyongyang may be headed toward a nuclear test. ‘‘Is this the kind of missile that can carry a nuclear warhead? Not really,’’ a South Korean government official said on condition of anonymity, referring to Sunday’s test.A Defence Ministry spokeswoman in Tokyo said Japan had yet to confirm whether the launch took place. ‘‘At this point, the missile in question is thought to have flown a very short distance and cannot be described as something that immediately has a particular impact on our country’s security,’’ a spokeswoman said.
