North Korea Missile Launch Sparks Panic and Evacuations in Japan
A South Korean military official said the test involved a new weapon system shown at a North Korean military parade that may have used solid fuel.
A North Korean missile launch caused alarm and panic in Japan before the weapon fell into the ocean.
North Korea launched the ballistic missile between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, according to South Korean officials, who described the act as a “grave provocation.”
According to a South Korean military official, the test involved a new weapon system displayed at a recent North Korean military parade, which may have used solid fuel.
It prompted the Japanese government to issue an evacuation order for the island of Hokkaido, which was subsequently rescinded.
The South Korean military said it was on high alert and coordinating closely with its principal ally, the United States, which “strongly condemned” what the White House called a long-range ballistic missile test in a statement.
The Japanese minister of defense, Yasukazu Hamada, said an ICBM-class weapon was fired eastward at a steep angle.
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Eventually, the projectile fell into the ocean east of North Korea.
In response to the launch, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida convened a National Security Council meeting.
Hokkaido student told NHK that the alert sparked fear and confusion at a train station.
“The train was panicked, but a station employee told everyone to calm down, and they did,” he said.
In addition to condemning North Korea’s latest missile test, the United States reiterated its offer to begin negotiations.
The latest launch, according to US NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson, “unnecessarily escalates tensions and threatens to destabilize the security situation in the region.”
“The door to diplomacy remains open,” she added, “but Pyongyang must immediately cease its destabilizing actions and opt for diplomatic engagement.”
This year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to intensify his nuclear push, calling for an “exponential increase” in the country’s nuclear warheads, mass production of battlefield tactical nuclear weapons aimed at “enemy” South Korea, and the development of more sophisticated ICBMs.
North Korea plans to develop a solid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missile to counter US military threats.
Pyongyang claims its weapons testing is a response to US and South Korean military exercises. Which it views as invasion rehearsals.
The United States and South Korea claim that their exercises are defensive.
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