The Japanese government said projectiles reportedly launched by North Korea in the early hours of Friday have not reached the waters of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
South Korean media reported, citing the country’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, that the military had detected the launches off North Korea’s eastern coast into the Sea of Japan at 2:59 a.m. (17:59 GMT) and at 3:23 a.m. (18:23 GMT).
“It has been confirmed that the missiles have not reached Japan’s territory or its exclusive economic zone. There is currently no threat to Japan’s security”, the Japanese authorities said, as quoted by the NHK broadcaster.
Notably, Tokyo has refrained from stating that the projectiles reportedly launched by Pyongyang were ballistic missiles.
Japanese Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya, at a press conference, called the projectiles, fired by North Korea, “some objects”.
“We are making everything possible to collect and analyze the information we are receiving,” Iwaya added.
North Korea’s launches on Friday are the third weapons test held by the country since last Thursday when Pyongyang fired two projectiles that appeared to be short-range missiles.
On Wednesday, the country conducted a test of what North Korean media called a new multiple guided rocket launcher.