Phoenix Network Forums

North Korea has launched a seventh missile despite international protests against a series of earlier launches.

An official at Japan's Defence Agency says the launch took place early this evening and the flight lasted six minutes.

The Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi, has told reporters further launches cannot be ruled out.

He says dialogue is needed to solve the current situation with North Korea and North Korea will achieve nothing positive from the missile launches.

North Korea says its missile launches are an issue of national sovereignty and no one has the right to question them.

A government official has been quoted as telling a group of Japanese journalists visiting the capital, Pyongyang, that North Korea will not be restricted by agreements on the issue.

Japan has imposed sanctions on North Korea to protest against the launch, saying its actions are a threat to peace and stability.

South Korea also views the matter with concern, as Foreign Ministry spokesman Chu Que Ho explains.

"This test firing will isolate North Korean internationally first and it will undermine peace and stability in north-east Asia," he said.

"It will impact [on] inter-Korean relations, including ... South Korean people's sentiment toward the north."