Japan's Defense Ministry says flight already over; no damage reported

First provocation in a month since Aug. 20, ninth launch this year

Coast guard urges nearby vessels to exercise caution

File photo unrelated to the article. [Pyongyang Rodong Sinmun via News1]
File photo unrelated to the article. [Pyongyang Rodong Sinmun via News1]

North Korea fired a projectile suspected to be a ballistic missile into the East Sea on Sunday, NHK reported.

The projectile is believed to have already completed its flight and landed in waters outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.

According to NHK, Japan's Defense Ministry officially announced at around 3:10 p.m. Sunday that an object possibly a ballistic missile had been launched from North Korea and was believed to have already fallen into the sea.

The ministry said it was urgently gathering information to determine whether the launch had caused any direct damage or impact on Japan.

Japanese government and Defense Ministry officials said the projectile appeared to have come down in waters beyond Japan's EEZ.

Japan's Coast Guard issued an urgent warning to vessels navigating nearby waters, urging them to watch for falling debris and stay alert for further updates.


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