North Korea fires 3 missiles — 1 over a Japanese island

TOKYO — North Korea launched three ballistic missiles Tuesday morning, and at least one of them flew over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, public broadcaster NHK reported.

It was the second time in four days that the North Korean authorities, defying an escalation in international sanctions and warnings from President Donald Trump, had launched a missile.

Although North Korea has sent a missile over Japan once before — in 1998 — this launch comes at a time of heightened tensions. Pyongyang has been threatening to fire a missile into the waters around the U.S. territory of Guam.

“We’ll make the utmost effort to protect the public,” a visibly agitated Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe said early Tuesday morning.

The missiles were launched at 5:58 a.m. Japan time and one flew over Hokkaido at 6:60 a.m.

South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff also confirmed that the missile had passed over Japan. The missile flew 733 miles to land in the Pacific Ocean east of Hokkaido’s Cape Erimo, NHK reported.

Kim Jong Un, who has ordered the launch of 18 missiles this year alone, has defied international calls to desist and has instead been making strides in his weapons program, last month launching two intercontinental ballistic missiles theoretically capable of reaching the mainland United States.

The launch, coming on the heels of three shortrange missiles fired Saturday, comes amid ongoing joint exercises between the United States and South Korean militaries, exercises that North Korea always strongly protests.