Japan condemns latest NKorea missile launch

Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi said on Saturday a new missile launch by North Korea was "absolutely unacceptable". The North fired at least one ballistic missile, according to Kishi. It was believed to have landed off the Japanese coast outside of the Japanese Exclusive Economic Zone.

So far, there has been no report of damage to vessels in the area. Kishi said early assessment showed that the missile flew about 300 kilometres eastward. It reached a maximum altitude of 550 kilometers before landing in the waters off the eastern coast of North Korea.

He added that North Korea's recent substantial advancement in missile and nuclear technology was a major threat to peace and safety, not only for Japan but also for the region and the international community.