16 September 2017

News Story: Japan urges DPRK to change course, return to negotiating table after latest missile launch

North Korean Hwasong-12 ballistic missile
TOKYO, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday called on the international community to unite against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) "provocative acts" and urged the DPRK to change its current course of action.

"Now is the time when the international community is required to unite against North Korea's provocative acts, which threaten world peace," the Japanese leader told a press briefing at his office.

"We must make North Korea understand that if it continues down this road, it will not have a bright future," Abe said.

Abe's remarks came following the DPRK launching a ballistic missile that flew over northern Japan before falling into the Pacific early on Friday.

The government said the missile landed around 2,260 km east off the cape of Erimo in Hokkaido Prefecture in Japan's north, at around 7:16 a.m. local time (2216 GMT Thursday).

The launch came after the UN Security Council voted in favor of a resolution toughening sanctions on the DPRK following its sixth nuclear test on Sept. 3.

The tougher sanctions included restrictions against its trade in oil and petroleum products.

Read the full story at Xinhua