Abe/Trump boats
© Asian CorrespondentTwo ships that meet in the plight.
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe has held a phone conversation with US president Donald Trump, in which the two leaders agreed to ramp up pressure on North Korea after its latest test of a suspected intermediate range ballistic missile which flew over Japan.

Following the conversation, Abe told reporters that Trump restated Washington's full commitment to their ally's security and assured him that the United States was "100 percent with Japan."

After Tuesday's launch and flyby over Japanese territory, the country's prime minister vowed to do everything in his power to protect his nation. "We will make utmost efforts to firmly protect the lives of the people," Shinzo Abe said Tuesday before convening an emergency session on the missile firing, Reuters reports. Abe also said that Japan had "requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council."

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary earlier described Pyongyang's latest action as a "grave threat." "This ballistic missile launch appeared to fly over our territory. It is an unprecedented, serious and grave threat to our nation," Yoshihide Suga told reporters, according to Reuters.

Suga added that Tokyo will work closely with Washington and Seoul, as well as other regional countries to issue an appropriate response.