North Korea launches ballistic missile this morning, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae instructs to closely monitor reports

(Central News Agency Tokyo 3-3 Comprehensive Foreign News Report) The South Korean military said earlier that North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the eastern sea around 6:30 in the morning. Japan's Ministry of Defense pointed out today that this move violated United Nations Security Council resolutions and has lodged a stern protest and strong condemnation to North Korea.

Kyodo News reported that according to information from the Japanese Ministry of Defense, the missile had a maximum altitude of about 90 kilometers, flew about 680 kilometers, and may have landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae instructed relevant government departments to do their best to collect and analyze intelligence, provide information to the people quickly and accurately, and thoroughly conduct safety confirmation operations for aircraft and ships.

The South Korean military has stepped up surveillance and alert to prepare for additional launches from North Korea, and also emphasized that Japan, the United States, and South Korea are closely sharing information on North Korea's ballistic missiles to maintain full alertness.