SEOUL — North Korea has fired an “unidentified ballistic missile” towards Japan, a South Korean official told NBC News Monday evening.
“North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile on Tuesday morning at around 5.57 a.m. (4:57 p.m. ET Monday) from Sooan area of Pyongyang City eastward towards Japan and passed through the air space of Japan,” a South Korean military official told NBC News.
South Korean and U.S. intelligence offices were analyzing details about the launch, the official added.
“The South Korea government has called for the National Security Council meeting at 7 a.m. (6 p.m ET),” a government spokesperson said in a press briefing.
The Pentagon said in a statement that it could “confirm that the missile launched by North Korea flew over Japan.”
“We are still in the process of assessing this launch,” the Pentagon said in its statement. “North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America. We are working closely with Pacific Command, Strategic Command and NORAD and will provide an update as soon as possible.”
A South Korean military official said the missile flew for about 1,678 miles with a maximum altitude of 342 miles and that they were analyzing further details.
A U.S. intelligence official told NBC News the context of the missile test was multi-faceted.
“North Korea has been conducting an unprecedented level of testing since early 2016 and we have not seen anything in their defiant posture to suggest this has changed,” the official said.
Japanese broadcaster NHK, citing government sources, reported that the projectile flew near the northern Hokkaido island towards the Pacific Ocean and that no action to shoot down the missile was taken by Japan.
State-funded South Korean broadcaster Yonhap also reported the missile launch, saying it went into the East Sea, citing the country’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“It appears a ballistic missile was fired and that it flew over our country,” Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe told reporters on NHK. “We will immediately collect information and analyze the data and we will do our utmost to protect the public.”
NHK reported that the missile split into three parts and landed 733 miles east of Cape Erimo, Japan
It was not immediately clear what type of projectile North Korea may have fired.
Yonhap reported that North Korea had launched an apparent missile into the East Sea, citing the military.
The move follows North Korea firing what are believed to be three short-range ballistic missiles, one of which exploded after launch, according to U.S. Pacific Command.
The missiles were launched near Kittaeryong between 6:49 a.m. Seoul time (5:49 pm. Friday ET) and 12:19 p.m.
North Korea has conducted several long-range ballistic missile tests this year, including two tests of intercontinental ballistic missiles that have greatly heightened regional tensions.
Stella Kim reported from Seoul, South Korea, Daniella Silva reported from New York City