NHK-Missile Appears To Have Landed In Japan EEZ

Japan's NHK reporting that according to unnamed gov't sources, the North Korean missile launched earlier today appears to have landed in the waters of Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the Sea of Japan. South Korea's Yonhap reports that it was two short-range ballistic missiles fired from the Sunan area of North Korea.

• As noted earlier, while missile tests from North Korea are not uncommon, they raise geopolitical tensions in the region. Should the missile have fallen within Japanese waters it could ratchet up tensions further, with Kyodo reporting that the Japanese gov't is set to hold a National Security Council meeting on the issue.
• The launch/launches come in retaliation to sizable live-fire drills carried out in late May by the US and South Korea close to the North Korean border. AP: "The drills involved 2,500 troops and 610 weapons systems such as fighter jets, attack helicopters, drones, tanks and artillery from South Korea and the United States, according to the South Korean Defense Ministry. The most recent exercises in 2017 drew about 2,000 soldiers and 250 weapons assets from both countries."