Suspected ballistic missile launched by North Korea fell outside of Japan's exclusive zone

Tokyo: North Korea fired one suspected ballistic missile from the Jagang Province area on Sunday and the missile landed outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone.

On Sunday morning, the South Korean Yonhap news agency reported citing the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) that Pyongyang had launched an unidentified projectile toward the East Sea (Sea of Japan). In a later update, Yonhap said citing the South Korean military that the suspected ballistic missile was launched from North Korea's Jagang Province area.

Meanwhile, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters on Sunday that the suspected ballistic missile launched by Pyongyang flew 800 km (497 miles) reaching a maximum altitude of 2,000 km (1,243 miles), and fell outside of Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone after its estimated 30-minute flight.

According to Matsuno, the Japanese government has expressed strong protest over the suspected launch, which, if officially confirmed, will be the seventh test carried out by North Korea this year.

A crisis response center has been set up under the office of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in connection with Pyongyang's suspected Sunday launch. Kishida has also called a National Security Council meeting, according to the Kyodo news agency.