North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile in an easterly direction, both the South Korean military and Japan’s coast guard said early Tuesday. This is the gate missile test conducted in less than a week.
Japan urged on Tuesday (local time) to evacuate residents of two northern regions to safe places after the launch of a ballistic missile by North Korea.
“Missile information. North Korea appears to have launched a missile. Please evacuate inside buildings or underground,” the government said in an alert issued at 7:29 a.m. Tuesday (5:29 p.m. Eastern time). from Mexico).
The Japanese government urged people in Aomori and Hokkaido prefectures, as well as several islands near Tokyo, to seek shelter while it tracked the missile’s trajectory. The alert was lifted minutes later.
The missile likely flew over Japan, according to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s office.
This launch occurs in the midst of joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States and adds to a record series of weapons tests carried out this year by the communist country.
The last time a North Korean missile flew over Japan was on September 15, 2017, when the country launched a medium-range ballistic missile, recalls a report by The New York Times.
Days ago, Seoul and Washington deployed large-scale naval exercises off the peninsula and on Friday they are planning submarine maneuvers with Japan, the first in five years.
Visiting Seoul last week, US Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to the demilitarized zone that divides the peninsula to demonstrate the White House’s commitment to South Korea.
The country led by Kim Jong Un deployed a record number of weapons tests this year and last week fired four short-range ballistic missiles.
The United States and South Korea have been warning for months that the communist country is preparing a new test of a nuclear weapon.
With information from AFP.
