SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – The Latest on another missile launch by North Korea (all times local):
9:15 a.m.
U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has called the latest missile launch a reckless act by the North Koreans.
Mattis was at the U.S. Strategic Command headquarters in Nebraska at the time of the launch and said afterward the missile “was fired over Japan and put millions of Japanese in duck and cover.”
The missile fired Friday morning Asia time flew over Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido before landing in the Pacific. Warning messages were sent to residents.
Asked about a possible American military response, Mattis said, “I don’t want to talk on that yet.” He said President Donald Trump had been fully briefed on the event.
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8:58 a.m.
The U.S. Pacific Command says the North Korean missile fired over Japan was an intermediate range missile.
The Pacific Command said Friday that the North American Aerospace Defense Command determined the missile did not pose a threat to North America.
North Korea previously fired a Hwasong-12 intermediate range missile over Japan on Aug. 29 in what it called a “meaningful prelude” to containing Guam and the start of more missile tests targeting the Pacific Ocean.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga has denounced North Korea’s latest launch, saying he is conveying “strong anger” on behalf of the Japanese people.
Suga says the missile flew over Japan’s northern main island of Hokkaido and landed about 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) off its eastern coast in the Pacific Ocean.
Suga says Japan “will not tolerate the repeated and excessive provocations.”
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8 a.m.
South Korea’s military says North Korea fired an unidentified missile from its capital Pyongyang that flew over Japan before landing in the northern Pacific Ocean.
It was the second aggressive test-flight over the territory of the close U.S. ally in less than a month and it followed the sixth and most powerful nuclear test by North Korea to date on Sept. 3.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday that the missile traveled about 3,700 kilometers (2,300 miles).
The joint chiefs say the missile was launched from Sunan, the site of Pyongyang’s international airport.
The airport also was used to fire a Hwasong-12 intermediate range missile that flew over northern Japan in what it declared a “meaningful prelude” to containing the U.S. Pacific island territory of Guam and the start of more ballistic missile launches.
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7:30 a.m.
South Korea’s military says North Korea fired an unidentified missile from its capital Pyongyang in a continuation of weapons tests following its sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date on Sept. 3.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday that the missile was launched from Sunan, the site of Pyongyang’s international airport.
The North last month used the airport to fire a Hwasong-12 intermediate range missile that flew over northern Japan in what it declared as a “meaningful prelude” to containing the U.S. Pacific island territory of Guam and the start of more ballistic missile launches targeting the Pacific Ocean.
South Korea’s Defense Ministry says the country’s military conducted a live-fire ballistic missile drill in response to the North’s launch.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has scheduled a National Security Council meeting to discuss the launch.