Japan Says North Korea Fired Multiple Ballistic Missiles with Range of About 320 km

Japan's Ministry of Defense announced that multiple ballistic missiles were launched from North Korea at around 5:04 PM today (August 20) and are estimated to have fallen outside its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

According to NHK and Kyodo News, the Ministry of Defense estimated that the ballistic missiles fired from North Korea reached a maximum altitude of about 90 km and flew about 320 km before falling outside Japan's EEZ.

The ministry is analyzing related information and continuing vigilance and surveillance.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters in India today, "South Korea, the U.S., and Japan are closely cooperating to analyze the detailed information," adding, "No damage to aircraft or vessels has been confirmed so far."

He went on to emphasize, "North Korea's series of actions, including the repeated ballistic missile launches up to now, threaten the peace and stability of our country (Japan) and the international community," and added, "This is a grave issue concerning the safety of our citizens, and we have lodged a stern protest and strongly condemned North Korea through diplomatic channels in Beijing."

In relation to this, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi instructed officials to focus on gathering and analyzing information, providing prompt information updates, and ensuring the safety of aircraft and vessels.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.