Update | North Korea fires ballistic missiles into Japanese waters, prompting ‘stern protest’ from PM Abe

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test launches of four missiles by an army unit commissioned with attacking US military bases in Japan, the country’s official news agency reported on Tuesday.

The missile firing into waters off Japan’s east coast was reported on Monday by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who said Tokyo lodged a “stern protest” with North Korea.

The launch of the missiles, three of which Abe said fell into Japan’s exclusive economic zone, were “a grave threat to our country’s national security,” according to government spokesman Yoshihide Suga.

South Korean news agency Yonhap, which first reported the launch, said an “unidentified projectile” had been launched from an area near the Dongchang Ri missile site at 7.36 am and flew across North Korea before landing in the the Sea of Japan.

The test was an apparent protest against ongoing military drills between South Korea and the United States, Yonhap said.