Japan condemns DPRK's missile test-firing

The Japanese government on Sunday condemned the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) over its latest test launch of a ballistic missile earlier in the day.

The ballistic missile, fired at around 7:55 a.m. local time (2255 GMT Saturday), has fallen into the Sea of Japan, but apparently outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, said Japan's top government spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga.

The launch was clearly a violation of UN Security Council resolutions and such "acts of provocation" were "intolerable," he said, adding that Japan has lodged a strong protest.

Japan's Defense Minister Tomomi Inada said the defense ministry is currently gathering and analyzing information on the launch and will do its utmost to monitor the situation vigilantly.

Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, currently accompanying Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on a visit to the United States, told the press that Japan is asking the UN to issue "strong message" against the DPRK.

The DPRK missile test-firing came after Abe met with U.S. President Donald Trump during his U.S. trip.

According to a joint statement released after the summit, the two sides confirmed mutual challenges facing the two countries and urged the DPRK to "abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and not to take any further provocative actions." Endit