North Korea Fires Missile Over Japan, Escalates Tensions With West

North Korea fired a missile over Japan on Tuesday, officials in Tokyo and South Korea said, sharply escalating an already tense military situation that many have feared could lead to war among nuclear powers.The missile was fired from near Pyongyang at roughly 6 a.m. local time and flew east, according to South Korean news agency yonhap citing officials in Seoul "It passed through the sky over Japan," according to a military statement.Japanese officials said the country's J-Alert warning system advised locals to take precautions, according to Reuters. The missile reportedly flew over the northern island of Hokkaido, according to public broadcaster NHK. There were no immediate signs of public damage."We'll make the utmost effort to protect the public," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters outside his office shortly after the launch.The Pentagon confirmed the launch and that the missile flew over Japan. A spokesman said it was not assessed to be a threat to the U.S. mainland.U.S. defense officials have traditionally avoided making public statements about how the U.S. would react militarily in the event of a provocative action like Monday's missile launch. Spokespeople have stated in recent weeks that missile shields in the U.S. and in the Pacific region could defend against a direct missile attack from North Korea."We are still in the process of assessing this launch," Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Robert Manning said Monday in a statement.