Korean missile hits Japan’s EEZ

The U.S. Strategic Command, meanwhile, said North Korea fired two presumed Rodong missiles simultaneously on Wednesday, not the one.

Following a flight of around 1,000km (620 miles), however, the missile has now apparently landed in Japanese waters, according to both South Korea and Japan.

Japan’s U.N. Ambassador Koro Bessho said he wants to make clear to the council that “shooting a missile at us – it fell short, but it is a major threat to our national security”.

The top US commander in South Korea insisted Tuesday that an advanced missile defense system is safe and must be deployed in a southeastern region to maximize the area being defended.

The missile test, Wednesday’s second as well as the latest of several this year in defiance of global sanctions, marks one of the North’s longest launches yet.

The missiles were launched from the western North Korean city of Hwangju and landed roughly 250 kilometers off the coast of Akita prefecture in Japan. The type of missile launched has a maximum range of some 810 miles.

North Korea seems to be living up to its promise of a physical response against recent United Nations sanctions, as the Communist country launched two ballistic missiles on Wednesday.

In a statement, Japan authorities said thatthis was an indication that North Korea intends to not only destroy the airfield but and ports. According to South Korea, these ballistic missiles can reach targets up to 1,000 kilometers away. He added that the missile appeared to have been a medium-range Rodong.

A dozen U.S. F-16 fighter jets and hundreds of airmen have arrived in South Korea to help beef up defense of the Asian ally, the U.S. Pacific Air Forces said, as North Korea keeps ratcheting up tensions with a series of missile launches.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe condemned North Korea’s missile provocation as a serious threat that is “difficult to forgive”, hours after Pyongyang launched a missile that landed in Japanese waters.

Washington quickly hit back, with the State Department saying it was aware of the reports and warning it was prepared to “defend ourselves and our allies from any attack or provocation”. The North has also tested four nuclear weapons under Kim Jong Un.

Last week, North Korea’s newly-appointed foreign minister Ri Yong-Ho said any decision to conduct another nuclear test would depend on the behaviour of the United States. North Korea describes the drills as an invasion rehearsal.