North Korea fires ballistic missile over Japan

Accra, Sept. 15 - (UPI/GNA) - North Korea fired a ballistic missile from its capital city of Pyongyang, South Korean and Japanese officials said on Friday.

Reports of the fired missile prompted Japan to warn residents to take shelter, BBC News reported.

"North Korea fired an unidentified missile from near Sunan, Pyongyang, around 6:57 a.m. which flew over Japan to the North Pacific," the South Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

Japanese news outlet NHK, said the missile fell into the Pacific Ocean about 1,242 miles off the cape of Erimo in Hokkaido.

A Japanese government spokesperson said no aircraft or ship was hit, and no debris had fallen.

According to the New York Times, White House officials were aware that the missile was being prepped days before it was launched but were not concerned and chose not to shoot it down.

"The North American Aerospace Defense Command determined this ballistic missile did not pose a threat to North America," said Cmdr. Dave Benham, a spokesman for United States Pacific Command.

Benham also said the missile "did not pose a threat to Guam."

Japan also chose not to shoot the missile down, despite warning people to take shelter inside or underground.

South Korean news agency Yonhap said the missile reached a height of 770 kilometers and distance of about 3,700 kilometers.

This is first missile launch from North Korea since the U.N. Security Council imposed new sanctions on the country.

GNA