Japan protests North Korea's missile launch

Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said early on Saturday that North Korea's missile launch on Friday underscores grave and real security threat to his country.

He also said that Japan will stay alert about possible further provocations by North Korea and Japan has no other option but to increase pressure on Pyongyang with the international community.

Abe made the remarks after a National Security Council meeting convened following the missile launch.

Japan's top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said that Japan's response to the missile launch would not be affected by Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada's resignation on Friday and Japan will keep working closely with the US and South Korea over the issue.

Suga said that no damage has reported to any vessel or aircraft, adding that the missile launch was in violation of the United Nations' related resolutions.

Earlier in the day, Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis told media that it has detected an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch by North Korea.

The South Korean media also reported the missile launch and immediately reported the move to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who convened an emergency security meeting early Saturday.

According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), North Korea fired the missile into its east waters.

Yonhap news agency cited JCS as saying that the missile was launched into the East Sea from North Korea's Jagang province.

On July 4, North Korea announced a successful test-launch of an ICBM, dubbed Hwasong-14, which flew around 930 km and was lofted as high as about 2,800 km.

with IANS inputs...