Nov 01 (NHK) - North Korea's state-run media has announced it launched an intercontinental ballistic missile on Thursday morning. Japan and the United States have strongly condemned it.
The state-run Korean Central News Agency reported that the country's leader Kim Jong Un attended the launch.
An NHK camera on Hokkaido's Okushiri Island caught footage of white objects appearing to fall over the Sea of Japan at about 8:30 a.m.
Japan's defense officials announced the North fired at least one missile at 7:11 a.m. from an area believed to be close to the capital, Pyongyang.
They say the missile is believed to have fallen outside of Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone, about 200 kilometers west of the island at 8:37 a.m.
Japan's Defense Minister Nakatani Gen said: "The missile launched this time is believed to be an intercontinental ballistic missile. But the ministry is continuing to analyze details, including whether it was a new type of ballistic missile."
He also said the flight lasted one hour and 26 minutes, the longest of the ballistic missiles the North has ever launched. He added it is estimated to have flown about 1,000 kilometers, reaching a maximum altitude of 7,000 kilometers.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa said the latest launch is an outrageous act that escalates tensions in the entire international community.
He said North Korea's actions threaten the peace and security of Japan, the region and the international community. He added that it is totally unacceptable.
Pyongyang last launched an ICBM-class missile in December 2023.
Japanese government sources say the missile may have been fired at a lofted trajectory. That means it was fired at a steep, almost-vertical angle.
The coast guard officials say they have not received any news about damages related to the launch so far.
This would be the 12th time this year the North has launched ballistic missiles, or projectiles believed to be ballistic missiles.
South Korea's defense ministry said on Thursday that North Korea might have launched a new type of long-range solid fuel ballistic missile from a large mobile launch pad with 12 wheels on each side.
The launch pad was first revealed in September when North Korea's state-run media released photos of it.
White House National Security Council Spokesperson Sean Savett said in a statement on Wednesday that the launch is a "flagrant violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions."
It says "US Indo-Pacific Command has assessed the launch did not pose an immediate threat to US personnel, or territory, or to its allies."
But it added the launch needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region.
The statement also said the national security team is closely coordinating with US allies and partners.
It adds that the United States will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the American homeland and its allies, South Korea and Japan.
