North Korea reportedly launched a ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday and what is considered its most recent missile test, an act that drew immediate criticism from Tokyo.
In a statement, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) confirmed the launch of the missile and said that it passed eastward over neighboring Japan. It is believed to have launched from North Korea's Mupyong-ri area in Jagang Province at around 7:23 a.m. local time.
North Korean Ballistic Missile Launch
The South Korean joint chiefs added that the military had already strengthened its surveillance and vigilance. They said they are now maintaining a fully prepared posture while closely working with the United States.
Japan's Prime Minister's office posted a tweet urging residents to immediately take shelter following news of the missile launch, warning them "to not approach anything suspicious that is found and to immediately contact the police or fire department."
In a statement, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida "strongly protested" North Korea's ballistic missile launch. On Tuesday, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said during a press conference that North Korea appeared to have fired a ballistic missile in the direction of Hokkaido, the northernmost main island in Japan, as per CNN.
The missile reportedly flew over Japan's northeastern prefecture of Aomori and landed somewhere outside the country's Exclusive Economic Zone. Matsuno said that he considered the missile launch a "threat to the public" and added that the Japanese government will continue to monitor the situation.
The Tuesday launch is counted as North Korea's 23rd missile launch this year that includes both ballistic and cruise missiles. Despite the high number of tests, launches over Japan are rare, with the last one being a ballistic missile flying over territorial Japan on Sept. 15, 2017.
According to Reuters, Matsuno also said that North Korea's series of actions, including the repeated launch of missiles, threaten the peace and security of Japan, and the international community, and poses a serious challenge to the entire international community.
Series of Weapons Tests
Officials said that the ballistic missile flew 4,600 kilometers in total and was able to reach a maximum altitude of 1,000 kilometers. South Korea's JCS said that the projectile appeared to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM).
North Korea's missile launch prompted East Japan Railway Co to suspend train operations in the northern regions. Matsuno said that fortunately, there were no reports of damage to aircraft or ships from the missile.
Initially, South Korea and Japan issued flight details that suggested the missile may have been the Hwasong-12 IRBM, which was unveiled by North Korea in 2017 as part of the country's threatened plan to strike Guam.
The latest missile launch is the fifth round of weapons tests by North Korea in the last 10 days in what many are considering a response to military drills between South Korea and the United States. North Korean officials are known to view such drills as an invasion rehearsal. The previous missiles were short-range and fell in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, the Associated Press reported.
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