North Korea fires ballistic missile into the Sea of ​​Japan

Seoul/Tokyo (Jiji Press) – North Korea fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile from near Pyongyang into the Sea of ​​Japan around 6:53 a.m. on Tuesday, the South Korean military said.

Japan’s Defense Ministry also said a ballistic missile had been launched from North Korea.

Japanese government officials said the missile fell in waters outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

The ministry said the missile reached a maximum altitude of about 100 kilometers and flew about 650 kilometers. No damage to aircraft or ships has been confirmed.

It was North Korea’s first missile launch since March 18.

The country test-fired an intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile with a hypersonic, maneuverable, controlled warhead in January and passed a ground-burn test of a solid-fuel engine for the missile last month.

The latest launch is believed to have been carried out to test the performance of the solid fuel engine.

Following the missile launch, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed his government to immediately and appropriately provide information to the public, confirm the safety of aircraft and ships, and prepare for any contingencies.

The missile launch “impacts not only the security of Japan, but also the region and the international community, and is absolutely unacceptable,” Kishida told reporters at the prime minister’s office. He said Tokyo has already lodged a protest against the case.

Late last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country plans to launch three military reconnaissance satellites this year.

Japanese Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a news conference on Tuesday that the latest rocket launch is not intended to shoot a satellite into space.

Hayashi added that North Korea may carry out more missile launches in the future, and said the Japanese government will do its utmost to warn and monitor.

Meanwhile, Seoul is on high alert against the possibility of further provocations by its northern neighbor ahead of the South Korean general election on April 10.

The South Korean military said it maintains the capacity and readiness to deal with any provocation.