LOC11:21
08:21 GMT
TOKYO, Sept 5 (KUNA) -- Japan's Defense Ministry said that all three ballistic missiles fired by North Korea on Monday appeared to have landed within Japan's exclusive economic zone.
There were no immediate reports of damage to vessels or aircraft navigating in the area, the ministry said.
The missiles were launched into Sea of Japan from North Korea's west coast at around 12:13 p.m. (0313 GMT), the ministry said. If confirmed, it would be the second time for a warhead to land in Japan's exclusive economic zone, following the one on August 3, which was believed to be a Rodong intermediate-range ballistic missile.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is in China for the summit meeting of the Group of 20 (G-20) of major economies, instructed relevant ministries and agencies to collect and analyze information, secure the safety of aircraft and ships, and promptly provide accurate information to the public.
The Cabinet Office said the launch clearly violates UN Security Council resolutions and poses a threat to the safety of ships and aircraft in the area. Tokyo also plans to lodge a protest against Pyongyang, it added.
Meanwhile, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that the North launched the mid-range Rodong missiles, according to Seoul's Yonhap News Agency.
A Rodong missile has a range of 1,300-1,500 kilometers and can strike Japanese territory. "The three missiles all flew about 1,000 km and landed in waters some 400 km inside Japan's air defense identification zone," a JCS official was quoted as saying.
The JCS is in the process of finding out further details about the latest provocations, he said.
The official then said North Korea appears to have test-fired the missiles to show off its missile capabilities as the G-20 summit is under way in Hangzhou, China. The launch, moreover, takes place just days before the reclusive country celebrates the anniversary of its government's establishment on September 9.(pick up previous).
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