(Provisional translation by an external company for reference purpose only)
At about 7:11 a.m. today, one or more ballistic missiles were launched from the inland region of North Korea toward the northeast. The launched missile fell at about 8:37 a.m. outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), west of Okushiri Island, Hokkaido. We will continue to make all efforts to collect and analyze information and conduct surveillance in order to protect the lives and property of Japanese citizens, in close cooperation with the relevant authorities of the U.S., the Republic of Korea (ROK), and other countries. We will also announce any additional information as soon as possible. A Cabinet meeting will be held from 9:10 a.m., but I have already reported to the Prime Minister, who issued instructions on the following three points: to make every effort to gather and analyze information and provide accurate information swiftly to the public; to thoroughly verify the safety of aircraft and ships; and thirdly, to be fully prepared for any unforeseen circumstances. As the Minister of Defense, I have instructed the Ministry of Defense to put utmost effort into gathering and analyzing information while working closely with the U.S., the ROK, and other countries, and secondly, to continue with surveillance activities and be fully prepared to deal with unforeseen circumstances. This is all the information I have with regard to the details I have just touched on, but we are currently working on further gathering and analyzing information.