North Korea fires ballistic missile into Japan EEZ

October 2, 2019

Tokyo--North Korea fired an apparent ballistic missile into waters in Japan's exclusive economic zone off the western prefecture of Shimane on Wednesday morning, the Japanese government said.

The missile firing came just a day after North Korea unveiled an agreement with the United States to hold working-level denuclearization talks on Saturday.

Pyongyang is apparently aiming to shake up the relationship among Japan, the United States and South Korea by continuing military provocation while promoting negotiations with Washington, political analysts said. The authoritarian state has been repeatedly firing projectiles since July 25, including new short-range ballistic missiles. The latest firing was the first since Sept. 10.

The apparent ballistic missile launch into the Japanese EEZ by North Korea was the first since a missile from the country fell into an area in the zone off the northeastern prefecture of Aomori on Nov. 29, 2017.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga initially said at an emergency press conference that two missiles were launched, from North Korea's eastern coast, around 7:10 a.m. Wednesday (10:10 p.m. Tuesday GMT). He said later it is possible that North Korea fired only one missile, and that it split apart before falling into waters 350 kilometers north of the island of Dogo in Shimane in the EEZ around 7:27 a.m.

No damage to ships or aircraft traveling nearby has been confirmed, according to Suga.

According to sources including South Korea's military, North Korea is presumed to have fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile of its Pukkuksong series.

The missile was launched from the sea, at a point some 17 kilometers northeast off Wonsan on the east coast of North Korea. It reached an altitude of about 910 kilometers and traveled some 450 kilometers.

"We harshly condemn the missile firing and strongly protest against the act, as it amounts to a violation of related U.N. resolutions," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters.

Abe instructed related government officials to make full efforts to collect and analyze intelligence about the latest firing and provide accurate information to the public swiftly, as well as to ensure safe travel of aircraft and ships.

The Japanese government held a meeting of its National Security Council at the prime minister's office.

Shigeki Takizaki, director-general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, held telephone talks with Stephen Biegun, U.S. special representative for North Korea. They confirmed close cooperation between Japan and the United States and among the two plus South Korea in dealing with Pyongyang's provocation.

The Japanese ministry lodged a protest to North Korea over the launch through embassies in Beijing.

A U.S. government official said that the United States is monitoring the situation and consulting closely with its allies in the region. Jiji Press