Japan vows action against North Korea's missile test

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has vowed to take action against North Korea with the help of the United States after Pyongyang's latest missile test on Sunday ended in the Sea of Japan.

Abe in a televised address on Monday said, "As we agreed at the recent G7, the issue of North Korea is a top priority for the international community. Working with the United States, we will take specific action to deter North Korea," reports Fox news.

North Korea on Monday tested a short-range Scud ballistic missile off its eastern. The missile flew for six minutes until it landed in the Sea of Japan.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the missile fell within Japan's exclusive maritime economic zone. He said there was no immediate report of damage to planes or vessels in the area.

"We cannot tolerate such repeated actions from North Korea, and we have lodged a strong protest against North Korea, criticizing them in the strongest form," Suga said in a statement after the test.

This is the third missile test North Korea has conducted in a month.

On May 14, the test missile by Pyongyang reportedly reached an altitude of more than 2,100 kilometers (1,300 miles).

According to analysts the test gave North Korea critical information on developing a re-entry vehicle for nuclear warheads and showed Pyongyang had a missile capable of striking the U.S. territory of Guam.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had earlier vowed to field a nuclear-armed missile capable of reaching American territory.