Japan says North Korea’s latest missile test is banned under United Nations Security Council resolutions. 

According to Japanese media outlets such as Kyodo News and NHK, Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya said on Wednesday that the Japanese government judges that the two projectiles launched by the North on Tuesday are short-range ballistic missiles. He argued the North thus violated UNSC resolutions and said it is "very regrettable." 

The Japanese defense ministry assessed that the North’s string of missile launches in recent weeks is intended to keep Japan, South Korea and the United States in check and that the regime is seeing advancements in its military technology. 

Calling the launches a threat to the entire East Asian region, Iwaya said Japan will deal with them through its alliance with U.S. and South Korea.