Two suspected North Korean missile launches drew Japanese condemnation on Friday, just days after the isolated country's defiant leader Kim Jong Un threatened to carry out a series of nuclear warhead tests and missile launches.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said North Korea shot off a medium-range ballistic missile at around 5:54 a.m. from the western part of Sukchon. It flew about 800 km and fell into the Sea of Japan about 650 km east of the Korean Peninsula. Suga said Tokyo lodged protest with North Korea through the embassy in Beijing, and that there is no report of damages caused to Japanese ships by the launch.
The U.S. officials said the second missile, fired about 20 minutes later, disappeared from radar in the early stage of its flight. Yonhap News reported that it may have exploded before reaching its target area, citing South Korean defense officials.