UPDATE - North Korea launches 3 ballistic missiles in single day

ADDS MORE DETAILS, REMARKS FROM JAPANESE OFFICIALS

By Merve Berker and Ahmet Furkan Mercan

ANKARA/ TOKYO (AA) – North Korea launched three ballistic missiles in a single day, South Korea’s military said early Thursday.

It said that one of the missiles was fired from the capital Pyongyang and appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The missile landed in waters about 1,100 kilometers (684 miles) off Japan’s coast, according to Japanese media reports.

The Japanese Defense Ministry initially reported that one of the missiles passed over Japan and fell into the Pacific Ocean but later corrected its statement, saying it disappeared from radar and did not pass over Japan.

State television NHK announced that the missiles were launched by North Korea at 7.51 a.m., 8.41 a.m. and 8.51 a.m. local time and fell into the Sea of Japan (East Sea).

In the message of the "J-Alert" early warning system, which became operational in Yamagata, Niigata and Miyagi prefectures after the first missile, people were asked to remain in buildings.

The warning to the public was made "after noticing that a missile was approaching Japan.”

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters that the missile tests are "intolerable."

The first launched missile was assessed to be an ICBM, he underscored.

He noted that cooperation will be maintained with the US and South Korea to take countermeasures.

In addition, it was noted that no damage was detected to vessels or planes traveling throughout the region after the tests.

Defense Minister Hamada Yasukazu announced that "the reason for the disappearance (of the first missile) from the radar is being investigated."

Meanwhile, the Japan Coast Guard announced that after the first test, North Korea launched two more missiles, which reportedly fell in the Sea of Japan.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that it was assessed that North Korea tested a medium- or long-range ballistic missile.