Japan

North Korea launched a long-range ballistic missile early Thursday, said the Japanese government, marking the 12th such launch by Pyongyang this year. Japan’s Defense Ministry said the missile, launched eastward from North Korea’s interior at 7.11 a.m. local time (2211GMT Wednesday), flew for one hour and 26 minutes before landing outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), west of Okushiri Island, NHK News reported. The missile was reportedly launched on a lofted trajectory, meaning it was fired at a steep, near-vertical angle, a tactic often used by North Korea to test missiles without overflying neighboring countries. The missile reached an estimated altitude of over 7,000 kilometers (4,349 miles) and traveled a distance of about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles), identifying it as an “ICBM class,” the government said, according to Kyodo News. There was no damage to planes and ships reported from the missile, it added. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced plans to convene an emergency meeting of the National Security Council. Japan’s Coast Guard confirmed that no immediate reports of damage had been received related to the launch. The latest launch marks North Korea’s first missile test since it fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles on Sept. 18. South Korean military authorities also detected the launch and said the missile was likely launched from an area near the capital Pyongyang. On Wednesday, they had suggested North Korea might conduct an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test amid heightened tensions. The missile launch follows recent reports of North Korean troops being deployed to Russia, a move condemned by South Korea, the US and NATO, further intensifying regional security concerns. -US strongly condemns ICBM test The US strongly condemned the ICBM test, saying “this launch is a flagrant violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions.” The launch did not pose an immediate threat to US personnel or territory or to its allies, but “needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said in a statement.  “We urge all countries to condemn these violations and call on the DPRK to cease its destabilizing actions and engage in serious dialogue,” said Savett, using the initials of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s official name.