N.Korea's suspected missile flew about 500 km - Japan's defence chief

Japan's defence minister said on Wednesday that North Korea's suspected ballistic missile had flown about 500 kilometres (310.7 miles).

North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile off its east coast on Wednesday, authorities in the region reported, underscoring leader Kim Jong Un's New Year vow to bolster the military to counter an unstable international situation.

The projectile landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, Japan's defence minister Nobuo Kishi told reporters.