SEOUL/TOKYO: North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan from an area around Pyongyang around 10 a.m. Wednesday, the South Korean military said.

The projectile is believed to be a long-range ballistic missile.

In Tokyo, Japan’s Defense Ministry said that an object that could be a ballistic missile was launched from North Korea and that the suspected missile is estimated to fall into waters outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone around 11:13 a.m.

Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio, who is on an overseas trip, instructed government officials to collect and analyze related information, provide the public with accurate information swiftly and thoroughly work to confirm the safety of aircraft and ships.

It is the first time since June 15 that North Korea has fired a missile. Two short-range ballistic missiles launched by the country that day fell within Japan’s EEZ.

Since Monday, North Korea has repeatedly claimed that U.S. spy aircraft had violated its EEZ, in a move to intentionally heighten military tensions.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary MATSUNO Hirokazu told a press conference Wednesday that Tokyo lodged a protest to Pyongyang via embassies in Beijing over the latest launch.

The Japanese government has received no report on damage at the moment and that no measures to destroy the apparent missile were taken, the top government spokesman also said.

JIJI Press