Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has expressed “outrage” at the “reckless provocation” of North Korea’s latest missile launch.
The rebuke came after South Korea said Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile towards the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
Mr Johnson tweeted: “Outraged at reckless provocation by #NorthKorea. Strongly condemn latest illegal missile launch by #DPRK.”
Japanese officials said the missile flew over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido and landed in the Pacific Ocean. There was no damage to ships or anything else reported. Japan’s NHK TV said the missile separated into three parts.
The launch comes amid heightened tension in East Asia after North Korea threatened to fire missiles towards the American territory of Guam.
The launch happened after Pyongyang expressed anger at joint US-South Korea military exercises.
People watch a TV screen showing file footage of a North Korea’s missile launch (Ahn Young-joon/AP)
Reports said the launch was believed to be the first to rocket fired from North Korea over Japan since 2009.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters: “We will do our utmost to protect people’s lives.
“This reckless act of launching a missile that flies over our country is an unprecedented, serious and important threat.”
Residents on Hokkaido were warned of a possible missile launch by a mobile phone message which told people to seek shelter in a “sturdy building or basement”.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called it a reckless act (Kyodo News via AP)
The launch comes on the eve of Theresa May’s planned visit to Japan to discuss Britain’s post-Brexit trade.
The Prime Minister will put trade and investment opportunities at the heart of her visit, where she will be received by Emperor Akihito and Mr Abe.
Defence and security co-operation is also expected to be a key theme of the trip, from Wednesday to Friday.
The trip will be Mrs May’s first visit to Japan as prime minister, having met Mr Abe at the G20 in Hamburg last month, at Chequers in April, and at the UN General Assembly in New York last year.