"Today's launches were done despite advance warning by the relevant countries. This is a grave problem in terms of peace and stability not only of Japan but also of international society. We strongly protest against North Korea," said Abe, the government's top spokesman.

He said the missiles were fired at around 3:30 am (1830 GMT Tuesday), 4:00 am and 5:00 am.

Japanese cabinet ministers and government officials held an emergency security meeting, with US ambassador Thomas Schieffer also rushing to the prime minister's official residence.

The third missile could have been a failed launch of a long-range Taepodong-2, Jiji Press said, citing a Japanese foreign ministry source.

CNN television, citing unnamed senior State Department sources, also reported that one of the missiles was a Taepodong-2.

Japan was expected to ask the United Nations Security Council to hold urgent consultations on the matter, Kyodo News said in a dispatch from New York.

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said last Thursday that he and US President George W. Bush had agreed to impose unspecified "pressures" on North Korea if it launched a long-range missile.

The United States had been monitoring a potential launch of a Taepodong 2 missile and Bush criticized North Korea last Thursday -- during a meeting with Koizumi -- saying that Pyongyang had failed to inform the world of its missile intentions.

Japan is particularly sensitive to such moves by North Korea, which in 1998 fired a Taepodong-1 missile over Japan into the Pacific, prompting Tokyo and Washington to step up cooperation to build missile defenses.

This time, Pyongyang had been believed to be preparing to launch a long-range Taepodong-2 missile, capable of reaching Japan, Alaska or possibly Hawaii.

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