North Korea has fired a missile eastwards from its capital, Pyongyang, towards Japan, the South Korean and Japanese governments say.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un presides over a target strike exercise (file photo) Photo: AFP
The missile is likely to have reached an altitude of about 770km and travelled some 3700km, South Korea's military said - far enough to reach the US Pacific territory of Guam.
Watch: Video of the warning sirens at Kunimi, Japan, after the launch of the missile:
South Korea and the US were analysing the details of the launch, it added.
Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, said the missile fell into the sea about 2000km east of Cape Erimo, Hokkaido. Local media reported earlier today that Japan had warned its residents to take shelter.
"These repeated provocations on the part of North Korea are unpermissible and we protest in the strongest words," Mr Suga said.
Late last month, North Korea fired a domestically-made Hwasong-12 missile over Japan in what Pyongyang said was "the first step" of military operations in the Pacific.
The Hwasong-12 crossed the northern island of Hokkaido, triggering public alerts to take cover, before landing in the sea.
This picture from North Korea's KCNA - taken on 29 August and released on 30 August - reportedly shows the Hwasong-12 lifting off from an undisclosed location near Pyongyang. Photo: AFP / KCNA via KNS
Today's reported launch comes just days after new sanctions were imposed on North Korea by the United Nations because of its weapons testing.
It comes one day after North Korea threatened to sink Japan and reduce the United States to "ashes and darkness" for supporting the UN's sanctions.
South Korea's presidential palace, the Blue House, has called an urgent national security council meeting.
- BBC / Reuters