North Korea launched an apparent ballistic missile on Wednesday, Japan and South Korea said, as the nuclear-armed country continues an "extremely high frequency" of missile tests amid speculation of a looming longer-range launch.
Japan's Defense Ministry said that the missile had traveled 500 kilometers (310 miles), while hitting a maximum height of 800 km and landing in the Sea of Japan outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, which extends 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from its coast.
"North Korea’s recent actions, including frequent missile launches, cannot be tolerated, as they pose a threat to security and safety of the region and international community," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said from Rome, where he was on the fourth leg of an eight-day trip.