Japan protests N. Korea’s ballistic missile launch, warns of further provocations

Japan has lodged a strong protest with North Korea through diplomatic channels at its embassy in Beijing following Pyongyang’s latest ballistic missile launch, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said on November 7.

Kihara announced at a regular press conference that Japan had condemned the launch and warned that North Korea could carry out additional “provocative actions,” including further missile tests or even another nuclear experiment, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media. 

The protest followed the firing of a ballistic missile by North Korea on November 7, which flew eastward from the country’s west coast before landing outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed that no damage to aircraft or vessels had been reported.

According to Japan’s Defence Ministry, the missile traveled more than 450 kilometers and reached a maximum altitude of about 50 kilometers. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported detecting the missile at around 12:35 p.m., launched from the Taegwan area in North Pyongan Province toward the Sea of Japan.

Prime Minister Takaichi said she has directed relevant government agencies to promptly provide information to the public and ensure safety measures nationwide.

The launch marked North Korea’s first ballistic missile test since October 22 and came just a day after Pyongyang denounced new US sanctions targeting eight North Korean individuals and two entities accused of involvement in cybercrime-related money laundering.

By Sabina Mammadli