SEOUL/TOKYO: North Korea fired what is believed to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan from the Pyongyang area  around 6:53 a.m. Tuesday, the South Korean military said.

The Japanese Defense Ministry said that at least one ballistic missile was launched from North Korea and that the projectile is seen to have fallen into waters outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

The South Korean military suspects that North Korea may have fired a hypersonic missile.

In March, North Korea said that it had successfully conducted a ground combustion test of a solid-fuel engine for a new intermediate- to long-range hypersonic missile. A South Korean military official said the latest launch is believed to be related to the test in March.

Hypersonic missiles can fly along irregular trajectories at low altitudes at speeds of Mach 5 or more. They are considered difficult to intercept.

The Japanese ministry said that the missile launched Tuesday reached a maximum altitude of about 100 kilometers and traveled a distance of more than about 650 kilometers. No damage to aircraft or ships has been confirmed.

This was North Korea’s first missile launch since March 18 and the third this year. The Japanese government lodged a strong protest with North Korea via embassy channels in Beijing.

Following the latest missile launch, Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio instructed his government staff to provide accurate information promptly to the public, confirm the safety of aircraft and ships, and fully prepare for any contingencies.

The missile launch “concerns the safety of not only Japan but also the region and the international community, and is therefore absolutely unacceptable,” Kishida told reporters at the prime minister’s office.

In phone talks Tuesday, senior Japanese, U.S. and South Korean officials in charge of North Korea confirmed the three countries’ cooperation in dealing with Pyongyang. They said that any ballistic missile launch by North Korea amounts to a violation of relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions.

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

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary HAYASHI Yoshimasa told a press conference Tuesday that the latest launch was not believed to be aimed at putting a satellite into orbit.

“North Korea may carry out (military reconnaissance satellite) launches in the future, Hayashi also said, adding that the Japanese government will put full efforts into warning and surveillance activities.

Meanwhile, Seoul is on high alert over the possibility of further provocations by the North ahead of the South Korean general election on April 10.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said at a cabinet meeting that North Korea is trying to shake South Korean society ahead of the election.

JIJI Press