N. Korea launches ballistic missile over sea

The missile was launched from South Hwanghae Province in the southwest of the country at around 7:50 a.m., the JCS said.

The Japanese government said Thursday it has issued a strongly worded protest to Pyongyang over the launch, Kyodo reports.

"(The launch) is in defiance of clear U.N. Security Council resolutions and is an extremely problematic act from the standpoint of securing the safety of aircraft and vessels at sea," the government said in a statement.

Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani ordered the country's Self-Defense Forces Wednesday to devote themselves to information gathering and surveillance in the wake of the launch.

A series of North Korean missile launches and attempted launches since the start of the year have raised concern in Japan, South Korea and further afield.

North Korea has also conducted four nuclear tests, most recently in January this year, despite U.N. Security Council resolutions prohibiting the act and warnings from the international community.

Source: Kyodo