Japan says North Korea missile launch violates U.N. resolution

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s top government spokesman said on Monday North Korea’s missile launch the previous day violated a United Nations resolution and that Tokyo would respond in cooperation with other nations, such as the United States and South Korea.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga also told a news conference Japan and North Korea would hold talks in Beijing from Tuesday as scheduled.

North Korea agreed last month to reopen an investigation into the fate of Japanese citizens it kidnapped decades ago. In return, Japan will ease some economic sanctions when the probe starts and consider humanitarian aid later.

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea east of its coast on Sunday, South Korea’s military said, defying a U.N. ban on the isolated North testing such weapons.

(Reporting by Hitoshi Ishida; Writing by Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Paul Tait)