North Korea on Tuesday morning Pyongyang time fired a ballistic missile that passed over Japan in its flight path, according to the South Korean military.
The missile was fired from near Pyongyang and flew east, the New York Times reported. It passed over Hokkaido island in northern Japan.
North Korea has now fired two ballistic missiles in the last four days. It also fired three short-range missiles on Saturday, escalating the Kim regime's defiance of international sanctions and President Donald Trump's warnings.
The Japanese government texted citizens shortly after the missile was detected, advising them to take protective cover. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spoke to reporters before entering an emergency meeting.
"We will make the utmost efforts to firmly protect the lives of the people," he said.