North Korea is believed to have fired a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan on Tuesday morning, the Japanese government said later in the day.
The object is highly likely to have fallen outside Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), according to the government.
Following the missile launch, which took place at around 6:38 a.m. Tuesday, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga instructed the relevant authorities to gather and analyze information, and quickly provide accurate facts for the public.
"We are further strengthening our vigilance and surveillance and analyzing the situation in which the missile was launched," Suga told reporters at the Prime Minister's Office.
According to a senior Defense Ministry official, North Korea appears to have fired a short-range ballistic missile that flew at a low altitude. No damage to Japanese vessels or airplanes has been reported.
The government is analyzing the flight distance of the missile, the location where it fell and other matters.
"This and the repeated missile launches in the past are a serious threat to the peace and safety of Japan and the region," Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said at a press conference Tuesday.
According to the South Korean military, the object was launched from Mupyong-ni in the northern province of Chagang in North Korea. Mupyong-ni is located around 40 kilometers from the border with China.
Since the beginning of this month, North Korea has launched a number of cruise and ballistic missiles. On Sept. 15, two short-range ballistic missiles were fired into the Sea of Japan and came down inside Japan's EEZ. Given that North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly, the equivalent of Japan's Diet, is scheduled to meet Tuesday, the latest launch might have been meant to boost the North's national prestige.
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