North Korea fires ballistic missile 440 km into Sea of Japan as Tokyo steps up surveillance with US and South Korea

North Korea launched at least one ballistic missile from its eastern coast at approximately 3 p.m. on September 20, according to Japanese authorities. The missile traveled about 440 kilometers, reached a maximum altitude near 60 kilometers and fell into the Sea of Japan outside Japan's exclusive economic zone. No damage was reported, while Tokyo lodged a protest and coordinated surveillance and information sharing with the United States and South Korea. The flight profile adds another data point to allied monitoring of North Korean missile development, but the available reporting does not identify the precise missile type.