ASIA PIVOT: North Korea test fires ballistic missile from submarine.

The US Pacific Command tracked the missile over and into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, approximately 300 miles off the coast of North Korea.

This was the first time a North Korean missile entered Japan’s air defense identification zone, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said.

“This is a threat to Japan’s security and an unforgivable reckless act that significantly damages the peace and stability of the region,” Abe said Wednesday morning.

The launch comes amid the annual joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea, which kicked off on Monday.

In a completely unrelated story, “U.S. to deploy F-35 fighters in western Japan next year,” in one of first overseas deployments of the stealthy attack jets.