North Korea launches ballistic missile over northern Japan

North Korea has launched a ballistic missile over northern Japan and into the Pacific Ocean in the latest weapons test by the increasingly aggressive regime of Kim Jong-un.

Japanese authorities say that residents in northeastern regions were ordered to evacuate buildings for the first time since 2017.

Trains were temporarily suspended in Japan’s Hokkaido and Aomori regions but later resumed when officials tracked the missile into the Pacific.

No details have yet been given about the type of missile fired or how far and high it flew during the test on Tuesday morning local time.

“North Korea’s series of actions, including its repeated ballistic missile launches, threatens the peace and security of Japan, the region, and the international community, and poses a serious challenge to the entire international community, including Japan,” Japan’s top government spokesperson Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters.

The missile launch is the fifth such test by North Korea in the past 10 days in the wake of military drills carried out between South Korea and the United States.

All four missiles previously fired are capable of hitting targets in neighbouring South Korea but landed in the waters between Japan and the Korean Peninsula.

The latest test came just a few days after US vice president Kamala Harris visited the DMZ, the heavily fortified area that divides the peninsula and separates North Korea from South Korea.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.