North Korea on Wednesday launched an alleged ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan, the Japanese Coast Guard reported.

Japanese coastguards note that the missile launched by Pyongyang has already fallen and urge ships in the region to immediately contact the authorities in case they find missile wreckage. The missile fell outside Japan's exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan, according to government sources told Kyodo News Agency.

A crisis center has begun operating under the office of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to gather and analyze information about Pyongyang's new missile launch. Japan's Defense Ministry is also analyzing data on the missile launch. There has been no information on any damage from the launch.

The ballistic missile flew about 250 kilometers with a maximum altitude of 50 kilometers, Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada told reporters.