North Korea fired a long-range ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast on Thursday, South Korea and Japan said, a day after Seoul reported the North was making preparations to test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile.
The launch, at a sharply raised angle, was from an area near the North’s capital, Pyongyang, at 7.10am, the Joint Chiefs said in a statement. The Japanese government later said the missile dropped into the sea at 8.37am.
“It is believed the North Korea ballistic missile is a long-range ballistic missile fired at a high angle,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
Earlier, the Japanese government said the missile was expected to land about 300km (190 miles) west of its Okushiri Island off its northern Hokkaido region, outside its exclusive economic zone and towards the Russian coast.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba later said there had been no reported damage from the launch.
