North Korea fired two suspected short-range ballistic missiles eastward from around the northwestern province of North Pyongan on Friday afternoon, according to the South Korean military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

It was the third ballistic missile launch by North Korea this year. The country test-fired what it claims were hypersonic missiles on Jan. 5 and Tuesday.

Japanese Defense Minister KISHI Nobuo told reporters in Tokyo that at least one ballistic missile was fired from North Korea’s northwestern region and is believed to have fallen into waters near the country’s eastern coast and outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

South Korean and US authorities are analyzing details of the projectiles.

In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio instructed his government to gather and analyze intelligence and provide information to the public appropriately.

The launch “poses a threat to the peace and security of our country and the region and is a serious problem to the entire international community,” Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary MATSUNO Hirokazu told a news conference in Tokyo.

The Japanese government made a protest to North Korea through a diplomatic channel in Beijing.

The South Korean military said that it is monitoring North Korea’s moves in order to prepare for an additional missile launch.

According to the military, the projectiles reached an altitude of 36 kilometers and traveled about 430 kilometers. Analysts said that the objects appear similar to Russia’s Iskander short-range ballistic missile.

Meanwhile, Kishi said that the estimated maximum altitude was about 50 kilometers while the travel distance was some 400 kilometers.

Referring to stronger pressure from the United States after missile firings, a North Korean government official said in a statement Friday that Washington is making a clear provocation by viewing North Korea’s legitimate exercise of self-defense rights as problematic.

If the United States takes a confrontational approach, North Korea have to make a response that is stronger and more obvious, the statement said, warning of a countermeasure.

JIJI Press