Japanese authorities said the missile plunged into waters inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone more than an hour after it was launched, suggesting the weapon was one of Pyongyang’s largest missiles.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kisihda said the missile appeared to have been ICBM-class, referring to an intercontinental ballistic missile. He told a briefing Japan strongly condemned the launch, calling it a threat to the international community.
Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada said the missile appeared to have a range of more than 14,000 km (8,700 miles) – sufficient to reach the U.S. mainland.
Tokyo said there were no immediate reports of damage to ships or aircraft.
In South Korea, which denounced the launch as a “clear breach of U.N. Security Council resolutions”, the joint chiefs of staff said the missile had flown about 900 km (560 miles) before splashing into the sea.
North Korea’s first missile firing since Jan. 1 came after Pyongyang threatened on Friday an “unprecedentedly persistent, strong” response as South Korea and the United States gear up for annual military exercises as part of efforts to fend off the North’s growing nuclear and missile threats.
Following Saturday’s launch, South Korea’s National Security Council convened a meeting and agreed to increase cooperation on security with Washington and Japan.
The US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement that US commitments to the defence of Japan and South Korea “remain ironclad”.
“While we have assessed that this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel, or territory, or to our allies, we will continue to monitor the situation,” the statement added.
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