North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile Tuesday that flew farther than any of the country’s earlier attempts. It was the first time since 2017 that a North Korean missile flew over Japan. The Japanese government warned people to move to a place of safety. Officials in Tokyo and Seoul said the missile flew between 4,500 to 4,600 kilometers. It travelled as high as 1,000 kilometers above Earth. Missiles are flown high to avoid entering airspace of neighboring countries. South Korea's military said it appeared to have been an intermediate-range ballistic missile launched from North Korea's Jagang Province. North Korea has launched several recent tests from there. Japan warned its citizens to go into shelters. It also stopped some train services while the missile passed over its north toward the Pacific Ocean American President Joe Biden spoke to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the phone after the missile test Tuesday. Biden assured him that the United States has an ironclad commitment to Japan's defense. The two leaders jointly condemned the missile test, the Biden administration said in a statement. It also said the U.S. would work closely with South Korea and the international community to decide how to deal with the issue.
