TOKYO, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government lodged a protest with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Saturday over the test-firing of a ballistic missile by the country earlier in the day.

Japan's top government spokesperson, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, told a press conference that Japan has issued a "stern protest" to the DPRK over the latest missile launch.

He said that the missile was launched around 5:30 a.m. Japan time Saturday morning and seemed to have fallen on land within the DPRK.

The missile launch was a clear violation of the UN Security Council resolutions and Japan "absolutely can not accept these repeated provocative acts," Suga told reporters.

He also said that he has informed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe immediately of the launch.

Abe is currently in on a visit to Britain following talks with Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday.