Japan Hopes for Collaboration With Russia, China Over N. Korean Issue - PM

"By collaborating not only with the United States and South Korea, but also with China and Russia and the international community, we intend to resolutely demand from North Korea to implement the UN Security Council resolutions," Abe told reporters.

Earlier in the day, North Korea carried out a missile test, in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions. According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pyongyang launched an unidentified missile, presumably a ballistic one, in the vicinity of Kusong, North Pyongan Province, which flew about 430 miles and fell in the Sea of Japan.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said that the missile presumably flew for 30 minutes not reaching the Japanese exclusive economic zone.

At the same time, the US Pacific Command said that it had detected and tracked the North Korean missile launch, but there was no confirmation that it was an intercontinental ballistic missile. The Command added that the missile did not threaten the security of North America.

Japanese Defense Minister Tomomi Inada said that a presumed altitude of the missile, launched by North Korea, amounted to over 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles). According to the minister, it could be a new type of missile.