Japan on Tuesday asked some residents to evacuate and go to shelters after North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile. “North Korea appears to have launched a missile. Please evacuate to buildings or underground”the government said in an alert issued at 7:29 a.m. (2229 GMT Monday) which, according to national television NHK, concerns two regions in the north of the country.
In Tokyo, the government said North Korea appeared to have fired a missile towards the main island of Hokkaido, located in the far north of Japan, and Aomori prefecture, located in the northeast country, the Kyodo news agency reported. The Japanese Coast Guard also confirmed the launch of a North Korean missile.
Japan on Tuesday strongly condemned the launch of a North Korean ballistic missile that Tokyo believes flew over its territory, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. “A ballistic missile likely passed over our country before falling into the Pacific Ocean. This is an act of violence that follows repeated and recent ballistic missile launches. We strongly condemn this.”Mr. Kishida told reporters.
According to the South Korean military, the missile headed for the Sea of Japan on Tuesday (local time). No other details were disclosed. The launch of this missile, which is part of an intensive test campaign launched by Pyongyang, took place in “ballast”, said the high command of the South Korean army in a press release, without further details. This is the fifth such provocation since the end of last month, reports the Yonhap news agency.
North Korea, which has nuclear weapons, had indeed already tested two other missiles on Saturday while United Nations resolutions prohibit it from testing any type of ballistic missile. It has embarked on an intensive weapons testing campaign this year, which culminated last week with four short-range ballistic missile launches.
The recent accumulation of missile tests by North Korea is seen by experts as a response to recent maneuvers at sea by South Korean and American forces. The aircraft carrier “USS Ronald Reagan” also participated in these four-day naval exercises. It was the first time a US aircraft carrier had deployed to South Korea in nearly four years. Seoul, Tokyo and Washington notably conducted trilateral anti-submarine exercises on September 30 for the first time in five years.
North Korea regularly accuses the United States of planning an attack through its military maneuvers with South Korea, which both countries deny. Pyongyang, which is subject to UN sanctions for its weapons programs, generally seeks to maximize the geopolitical impact of its tests by choosing the moment that seems most opportune.
South Korea and the EU react
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday promised a “firm answer” to the firing of a medium-range ballistic missile by North Korea which flew over Japan on Tuesday, causing evacuations there.
This last “provocation” from North Korea “Clearly violates universal principles and United Nations standards, and (Mr. Yoon) has ordered a strong response and (taking) appropriate action in cooperation with the United States and the international community”said the presidency.
For his part, the President of the European Council Charles Michel on Tuesday condemned “with force” the firing by North Korea of a ballistic missile which flew over Japan, denouncing a “unwarranted aggression”.
This shot, which led Tokyo to activate its warning system, is “a deliberate attempt” of endangerment “security in the region”he tweeted. “The European Union stands in solidarity with Japan and South Korea”he added.