![North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan,<strong></strong> Tuesday, which flew more than 2,700 kilometers before falling into North Pacific Ocean. Some analysts presume the missile is Hwasung 12 ballistic missile. Seen is the Hwasung 12 the North test-fired in May. / Yonhap](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/newsV2/images/170829_p00_NK.jpg/dims/resize/740/optimize) |
North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan, Tuesday, which flew more than 2,700 kilometers before falling into North Pacific Ocean. Some analysts presume the missile is Hwasung 12 ballistic missile. Seen is the Hwasung 12 the North test-fired in May. / Yonhap |
By Park Si-soo
North Korea fired a ballistic missile eastward over Japan, at around 5:57 a.m., Tuesday missile flew more than 2,700 kilometers at a maximum altitude of around 550 kilometers, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
The missile, fired from near Sunan in Pyongyang, flew over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido before falling into the north Pacific Ocean.
Cheong Wa Dae immediately convened a National Security Council (NSC) session to discuss the latest "grave" provocation. Chung Eui-yong, head of the National Security Office and a top security adviser to President Moon Jae-in, presided over the session.
The North fired the long-range missile three days after it fired three short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea.
The Kim Jong-un regime's latest provocation is expected to reignite tensions on the Korean Peninsula, making it harder for the Moon administration to push its campaign to resolve the North Korean nuclear and missile issues through dialogue.
The United States and Japan also confirmed that the North's missile flew over Japan.
JCS condemns North Korean missile provocation 2017-08-29 11:33 | Defense
![Japanese PM blasts Pyongyang over missile test: 'Unprecedented, serious and grave threat'](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/ABE287.jpg/dims/resize/112/optimize)
Japanese PM blasts Pyongyang over missile test: 'Unprecedented, serious and grave threat' 2017-08-29 08:04 | North Korea US confirms N. Korea's missile launch; 'It didn't pose a threat to North America' 2017-08-29 07:29 | North Korea
![North Korea's next step: nuclear test?](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/170731_p02_NK_th590(0).jpg/dims/resize/112/optimize)
North Korea's next step: nuclear test? 2017-08-29 07:54 | North Korea Japan's NHK TV said the missile separated into three parts.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters, "We will do our utmost to protect people's lives," calling the missile launch an "unprecedented, serious and grave threat."
The Pentagon also said it was still assessing the latest launch, adding that the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) determined that the missile launch did not pose a threat to North America.
Moon's reaction
President Moon Jae-in ordered the military to display its capabilities that could overwhelm North Korea.
Hours after Pyongyang launched the missile, four F15K fighter jets dropped eight Mark 84 or MK84 multipurpose bombs at a shooting range near the inter-Korean border in Taebaek in a show of overwhelming force, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
In a telephone conversation, Chung Eui-yong, Moon's top security adviser, talked with White House National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster about joint measures in response to the North's provocation.
McMaster said President Donald Trump "fully supported President Moon's North Korea policy" and the South Korean government's measures against North Korean provocations, according to Cheong Wa Dae officials.
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北미사일 日상공 통과는 이번이 5번째
북한이 29일 새벽 발사한 탄도미사일이 일본 홋카이도(北海道) 상공을 통과하며 일본 국민의 불안도 한층 고조됐다.
일본 정부는 북한의 미사일 발사 4분여만인 이날 오전 6시 2분께 전국순간경보시스템인 전국순간경보시스템인 J얼럿, 엠넷 등을 통해 미사일 궤적 등을 신속하게 전파했다.
특히 북한의 발사체가 일본 열도 상공을 통과한 것은 2016년 2월 이후 1년 반만의 일이어서 일본 국민의 긴장감도 한층 고조됐다.
교도통신 등에 따르면 이들 사례를 포함해 그동안 북한이 쏜 발사체가 일본 열도 상공을 통과한 것은 총 5차례로 집계되고 있다.
우선 2016년 2월 7일 북한이 발사한 장거리탄도미사일이 오키나와(沖繩) 상공을 통과한 것으로 파악됐다.
앞서 북한의 발사체가 처음 일본 상공을 통과한 것은 1998년 8월 31일이었다.
당시 장거리탄도미사일 '대포동 1호'의 일부가 일본 상공을 날아갔다. 북한은 당시 '위성발사'에 성공했다고 주장했다.
2009년 4월 5일에 북한이 발사한 미사일은 일본 동북부 아키타(秋田)현과 이와테(岩手)현 상공을 통과했다. 당시 일본 정부는 이 미사일이 '대포동 2호'나 그 개량형으로 추정했다.
2012년 12월 12일에는 사실상 3단식 장거리미사일을 발사해 오키나와(沖繩)·센카쿠(尖閣·중국명 댜오위다오)열도 부근 상공을 통과했고, 2단 추진체가 태평양에 낙하한 바 있다.