North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday for the first time in five years, prompting authorities to urge residents to flee and temporarily halting train services in northern Japan.

 This was reported by the Reuters agency.

 The Japanese government warned citizens to evacuate as the missile apparently flew over its territory before crashing into the Pacific Ocean.

 This is the first North Korean missile to follow such a trajectory since 2017. Tokyo says its range of 4,600 km may have been the longest ever launched by North Korea, as Pyongyang often lifts missiles higher into space to prevent them from flying over neighboring countries.

 The latest launch was Pyongyang's fifth in 10 days amid a military showdown by the US, South Korea and Japan.

 Last week, the three countries held trilateral anti-submarine drills, which included a US aircraft carrier that stopped in South Korea for the first time since 2017.

 Tokyo said it had taken no steps to shoot down the missile. South Korea also said it would strengthen its armed forces and expand allied cooperation against this backdrop.

 Officials in Tokyo and Seoul said the missile flew between 4,500 and 4,600 km at a maximum altitude of about 1,000 km.

 South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it was an intermediate-range ballistic missile launched from North Korea's Jagang province.

 Earlier, the South Korean Armed Forces revealed signs that North Korea may be preparing to test a ballistic missile from a submarine.