For the first time in five years, North Korea launched a ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday, prompting a warning for residents to seek cover and a brief halt of train service in northern Japan.
Shortly after, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida labelled North Korea’s conduct “barbaric” in a press conference and promised that the government will keep compiling and analysing data.
For the first time in five years, North Korea launched a ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday, prompting a warning for residents to seek cover and a brief halt of train service in northern Japan.
The missile test, which was fired over North Korea’s east coast, was reported on by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea and the Japanese coast guard.
The missile looked to have flown over and through Japanese land before crashing into the Pacific, prompting the Japanese government to issue a warning to its inhabitants to seek cover. The missile, which was the first launched from North Korea since 2017 to travel over or through Japan, was said to have been destroyed without the employment of any defensive systems.
Hirokazu Matsuno, the chief government spokesperson for Japan, stated during a brief press conference that North Korea’s activities, notably its repeated ballistic missile tests, represent a severe threat to the peace and security of Japan, the region, and the international community.
Shortly after, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida labelled North Korea’s conduct “barbaric” in a press conference and promised that the government will keep compiling and examining data.
According to the JCS of South Korea, it seemed to be an IRBM launched from the Jagang Province of North Korea. Recently, North Korea has conducted several tests from that region, including the firing of numerous missiles it claimed to be “hypersonic.”
According to TV Asahi, citing an unknown government source, North Korea may have shot an ICBM that landed in the ocean around 3,000 kilometres (1,860 miles) from Japan.
The most recent launch was Pyongyang’s fifth in ten days, and it came as the US, South Korea, and Japan’s navies all participated in trilateral anti-submarine drills last week.
To celebrate its Armed Forces Day on Saturday, South Korea put on a display of cutting-edge weapons that included multiple rocket launchers, ballistic missiles, main battle tanks, drones, and F-35 jets.
East Japan Railway Co 9020.T suspended its train operations in the northern regions as a result of the test, according to Japanese broadcaster NHK.
According to South Korean MPs last week, the North has finished its nuclear test preparations and may conduct it between this month’s Communist Party Congress in China and the November midterm elections in the United States.
