WASHINGTON -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired a missile over Japan, the Pentagon confirms Monday.

"We can confirm that the missile launched by North Korea (DPRK) flew over Japan," the Pentagon said. "We are still in the process of assessing this launch."

The Pentagon added that the missile launch did not pose a threat to North America.

The Japanese government said the missile appeared to have passed over the Japanese archipelago.

The missile was fired around 5:58 a.m. Japanese time (GMT 2058 Monday) from the western coast of the DPRK towards a northeastern direction, and passed over Cape Erimo in northern Japan around 6:06 a.m. Japanese time (GMT 2106 Monday), said Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga.

The missile appeared to have fallen into the Pacific Ocean some 1,180 kilometers east of Cape Erimo around 6:12 a.m. Japanese time (GMT 2112 Monday), said Suga.

He also said that the launching of the missile poses a grave threat to Japan's security and Japan strongly protests against the missile launch.