Japan Says Won’t Tolerate Provocation After N Korea Fires Missile

North Korean top leader Kim Jong Un on 15 April. 

(Photo: Reuters)

North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Friday in an unusual late night test launch from its northern Jangang province that landed in the sea off its east coast, possibly in Japan's exclusive economic zone, South Korea and Japan said.

The launch took place at 11:41 pm (1441 GMT), an official at South Korea's Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Saturday that a North Korean missile flew for about 45 minutes and appeared to have landed in the waters of Japan’s exclusive economic zone, but that there were no immediate reports of damage.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters that officials are analysing the apparent launch and that he has called a meeting of the National Security Council.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in called a National Security Council meeting for 1 am on Saturday (29 July), his office said.

The US Defense Department also confirmed the launch as a ballistic missile, saying it was making further assessments. In Washington, a Pentagon spokesman, Navy Capt Jeff Davis, confirmed that a launch of a ballistic missile from North Korea had been detected.

He said, "We are assessing and will have more information soon."

Suga added that the missile launch was unacceptable and that Japan absolutely cannot tolerate North Korea’s repeated provocations, which is in clear violation of United Nations resolutions.

(With inputs from news agencies.)

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