TOKYO (Sputnik) — The ballistic missile, launched by Pyongyang on Sunday, fell down 400 kilometers (248 miles) away from Japan's western Shimane Prefecture, Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada said.
"We believe that the missile fell down 700 kilometers [434 miles] away from the Oga peninsula in the Akita prefecture and 400 kilometers away from the Oki island in the Shimane prefecture," Inada said as quoted by the Kyodo news agency.
Earlier in the day, North Korea launched a ballistic missile, which reportedly flew some 500 kilometers (310 miles) before falling into the Sea of Japan short of reaching Japan’s exclusive economic zone. This is the eighth missile launch carried out by North Korea in 2017 in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions. The US Pacific Command said that it was a medium-range ballistic missile, which did not pose a threat to North America.
The previous launch was carried out by Pyongyang last Sunday, when North Korea tested a ground-to-ground intermediate ballistic missile that fell in the Sea of Japan outside Japan's special economic zone. Pyongyang said it had launched the Hwasong-12 missile, which had flown 787 kilometers (489 miles).