Photo/Illutration An electronic board displays a caution issued Nov. 3 for the three prefectures of Miyagi, Yamagata and Niigata through the J-Alert national early warning system following a series of North Korean missile launches. (Tsubasa Setoguchi)

One of three missiles launched in Japan’s direction on Nov. 3 by North Korea might have been an ICBM intercontinental ballistic missile, according to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

The first missile was launched from the west coast of North Korea around 7:40 a.m.

The government used the J-Alert national early warning system to issue a caution to the residents of the three northern prefectures of Miyagi, Yamagata and Niigata.

While the government initially said the missile flew over Japanese territory, the Defense Ministry later revised its assessment and said it never passed over Japan.

Ministry officials said the missile reached a maximum altitude of about 2,000 kilometers and flew for about 750 km.

Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada, meeting with reporters, said the ministry was looking into why the initial assessment had to be corrected.

The second missile took off around 8:39 a.m. while the third missile was fired around 8:48 a.m. All three missiles landed in the Sea of Japan outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, ministry officials said. The latter two missiles only reached a maximum altitude of 50 km and flew for about 350 km. 

At his daily news conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said no damage had been reported from any of the missile launches.

He added that a protest had been directed toward North Korea through diplomatic channels in Beijing.

Matsuno said Japan would cooperate with the United Nations and international community to deal with the issue but stopped short of stating what he thought the North Korea intention might have been.

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