North Korea fired another ballistic missile on Tuesday night. That reports Reuters news agency. The missile likely flew over Japanese territory, whereupon the Japanese Coast Guard warned civilians to take cover.
It is the first time in five years that residents in northeast Japan have had to evacuate. They were warned that the missile had been fired towards Japan’s northernmost main island, Hokkaido. Train traffic in northeastern Aomori was temporarily halted. The missile eventually landed on the other side of Japan in the Pacific Ocean, about 3000 kilometers from the coast.
In a brief press conference shortly after the incident, Japan’s top government spokesman, Hirokazu Matsuno, said North Korea’s string of actions threatens Japan’s peace and security and “poses a serious challenge to the entire international community.” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters after the conference that North Korea’s actions are “barbaric”. “We strongly condemn this.”
The rocket launch is the fifth in ten days. North Korea also tested two missiles on Saturday. The launches for this took place shortly after the Visit of US Vice President Kamala Harris to South Korea. She met President Yoon-Suk-yeol there on Thursday.