North Korea is escalating its recent string of missile launches.

For the first time in five years, the socialist regime fired a ballistic missile over Japan into the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday.

In response, South Korean forces fired two precision bombs.

The Yonhap news agency, citing the South Korean military, reported on Tuesday that the bombs were dropped from an F-15K fighter jet over the uninhabited island of Jikdo in the Yellow Sea.

In addition, flight maneuvers were held together with American F-16 fighter jets.

The Yellow Sea is bordered by China and the Korean Peninsula.

Patrick Welter

Correspondent for business and politics in Japan based in Tokyo.

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In view of the rocket launch, the Japanese government spoke of an immediate threat to the region and the international community.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida protested vehemently and called the rocket launch outrageous.

The American government called North Korea's actions dangerous and irresponsible.

In South Korea, President Yoon Suk-yeol condemned the provocation as a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The National Security Council in Seoul threatened further sanctions against North Korea in cooperation with the United States and the international community.

According to the Japanese and South Korean defense ministries, the missile flew around 7:22 a.m. local time around 4,600 kilometers with a maximum altitude of 1,000 kilometers.

The flight lasted around 22 minutes.

For a minute, the missile crossed Japanese territory.

Japan reacts nervously to all North Korean missile launches, but is particularly alarmed by missile flights over the island nation because they can pose a direct threat to its own territory and people.

Defense Minister Hamada said in Tokyo that the missile landed outside of Japanese waters in the Pacific.

There are no reports of damage to aircraft or ships.

The fifth weapon test in ten days

After the rocket launch, the authorities in Japan asked the population in the north of the country to stay indoors.

At times, the Shinkansen express trains were stopped in Hokkaido and Tohoku.

Flight connections were also affected because the ground staff at airports temporarily took shelter in buildings.

For North Korea, it was the fifth weapons test in ten days surrounding US Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to South Korea and trilateral anti-submarine maneuvers by the United States, Japan and South Korea in the region.

The regime in Pyongyang has fired more than 30 rockets this year.

According to state media reports, ruler Kim Jong-un swore in September that he would never give up nuclear weapons and accused America of aiming for a collapse of his state.

Parliament passed a law allowing a pre-emptive nuclear strike should the leadership be attacked.

Japan estimates that the new test could be a North Korean Hwasong 12 medium-range missile.

The South Korean military also recognized a medium-range missile.

America's Security Council spoke of a long-range missile.

Most recently, North Korea shot down a Hwasong 12 in January, but allegedly dropped it into the waters between Korea and Japan out of concern for the security of neighboring countries.

The missile test will only strengthen security cooperation with the United States and Japan, South Korean President Yoon said.

North Korea's provocation immediately led to ministerial-level talks between the countries.

With Yoon taking office, defense cooperation between the three countries has improved.

Washington, Seoul and Tokyo have been warning for weeks of a possible seventh North Korean nuclear test, the first since 2017. South Korea's secret service told MPs last week that the test could come after the Chinese National Congress and before the US congressional elections in November.