Japan's government says North Korea has fired at least one suspected ballistic missile into the sea in its fourth weapons launch this month, as Pyongyang forges ahead with new military developments.
South Korea's military also reported that the North had fired an "unidentified projectile" toward the ocean off its east coast.
In less than two weeks, nuclear-armed North Korea has conducted three other missile tests, an unusual frequency of launches. Two of those involved single "hypersonic missiles" capable of high speeds and manoeuvring after launch, while the last, on Friday, involved a pair of short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) fired from train cars.
It was not immediately known what kind of missile was involved in Monday's reported launch.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu said the launches threaten regional peace. "North Korea's actions, including repeated ballistic missile launches, threaten the peace and security of Japan and the region. It is a serious issue for the international community," he added.
The US Indo-Pacific Command issued a statement on the incident, saying, "The U.S. commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remains ironclad."
