North Korea fires second missile over Japan

North Korea has launched a ballistic missile over northern Japan, the second such launch in less than a month, triggering missile alert systems.

The missile travelled about 3,700km and reached an altitude of 770km, passing above the Japanese island of Hokkaido, before splashing into the Pacific Ocean.

“The unidentified ballistic missile was launched from the district of Sunan in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, home to the country’s main airport,” CNN reports.

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“The US Pacific territory of Guam, which North Korea claims to have plans to fire missiles towards, is 3,400km from Pyongyang, so would be within range of the latest missile,” the BBC says.

South Korean leaders “immediately convened a National Security Council meeting, as the country’s troops conducted a ballistic missile training in the East Sea in response to the North's latest provocation”, Yonhap News says.

Speaking to reporters, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the launch was “totally unacceptable” and went against “the international community's strong, united will for a peaceful solution.”

“The United States secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, has called on China and Russia to take ‘direct actions of their own’ against North Korea,” The Guardian says.

The launch comes just days after the United Nations imposed its toughest sanctions yet against North Korea, following Pyongyang’s sixth and largest nuclear test.