North Korean Missile Likely Flew Over 4000 Kilometers
The Japanese government says a North Korean missile has flown over Japan and fallen into the ocean.
Officials believe the ballistic missile flew over the country's northeast before falling outside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone.
They say it flew for about 20 minutes over a distance of more than 4,000 kilometers.
It may have fallen into waters more than 3,000 kilometers east of Japan.
Officials said the missile was launched from a location in North Korea at about 7:22 a.m. Japan time.
They said it was heading towards Hokkaido and Aomori prefectures in northern Japan.
The Japanese government issued an alert through the nationwide emergency warning system.
It told people in the areas to take shelter in sturdy buildings or underground.
People in northern Japan were alerted with this siren.
About 20 minutes after the launch, officials said the missile may have fallen into the Pacific Ocean.
It's the 7th time ever that a ballistic missile has flown over Japan.
The defense ministry says it is the 23rd time that North Korea has test-fired missiles this year.
Japan's prime minister slammed the launch.
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio says "We strongly condemn the launch as an outrageous act. In response to it, I have instructed officials to check for possible damage caused by falling objects, to thoroughly collect and analyze information, and cooperate with allies.
Japan's largest rail operator halted bullet train service in northern Japan as a precaution. Transportation officials also issued a warning to air traffic around the country.