Tokyo Calls on Russia, China to Switch to More Active Position on N Korea

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Japan calls on Russia and China to take a more "active and constructive position" in relation to North Korea after Pyongyang's ballistic missile flies over Japanese territory, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, Pyongyang held a ballistic missile test. Suga said after the launch that the missile had flown over Japan's northern island of Hokkaido and had fallen 1,180 kilometers (733 miles) east of the island into the Pacific Ocean. According to South Korean media citing the country's military, North Korea's ballistic missile flew 2,700 kilometers and reached the maximum height of 550 kilometers.

"The roles of both China and Russia are extremely important. We call on them on different levels to take a more active and constructive position in relation to North Korea. We are significantly increasing these efforts," Suga said as quoted by Kyodo news agency.

Suga also noted that the Japanese government was making everything possible to ensure security of the country's population.

"We are making all efforts to ensure security and calm of our citizens, that is why we are asking them to keep composure and live their ordinary lives," Suga pointed out.

For the first time in years a North Korean missile has flown over Japanese territory.. The Japanese military said that three stages had separated off Pyongyang's ballistic missile which was likely to be Hwasong-12. No damage to Japanese aircraft or sea vessels has been recorded. The J-Alert nationwide warning system went off in Japan over Pyongyang's missile launch.