Japan's defense ministry has said that the suspected intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM) fired by North Korea from its western coast on Thursday landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone(EEZ).

Tokyo's defense minister, Yasukazu Hamada, said that the missile was fired in an eastward direction at around 7:09 a.m. Thursday and is estimated to have fallen outside the EEZ some 550 kilometers east of the Korean Peninsula at around 8:18 a.m.

The ballistic missile reportedly flew for 70 minutes before falling into waters some 250 kilometers off Hokkaido.

Japan's public broadcasters NHK and Kyodo News quoted Japanese officials as saying that North Korea appeared to have launched the missile at a lofted angle.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff also said that North Korea launched a long-range ballistic missile from the Sunan area in Pyongyang toward the East Sea on Thursday morning.