North Korea fires ballistic missile over Japan
SEOUL: Nuclear-armed North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile further than ever before on Tuesday, sending one soaring over Japan for the first time in five years, prompting a warning for residents to take cover.
It was the first North Korean missile to follow such a trajectory since 2017, and its estimated 4,600 km range may have been the longest distance travelled for a North Korean test flight, which are oten “loted” higher into space to avoid flying over neighbouring countries.
The Japanese government warned citizens to take cover and temporarily suspended some train services in the northern part of the country while the missile passed over its territory before falling into the Pacific Ocean.
It was the latest in an escalating cycle of military muscle flexing in the region.
A US aircrat carrier made a port call in South Korea for the first time since 2018 on Sept.23, and North Korea has conducted five launches in 10 days.
That period has also seen joint drills by the United States, South Korea and Japan, and a visit to the region by US Vice President Kamala Harris who stood at the fortified border between the Koreas and accused Pyongyang of undermining security.
Pyongyang accuses the US and its allies of threatening North Korea with drills and defence buildups.
Recent tests have drawn relatively muted responses from Washington, which is focused on the war in Ukraine as well as other domestic and foreign crises, but the US military has stepped up displays of force in the region.
Tokyo said it took no steps to shoot the missile down.
Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada said Japan wouldn’t rule out any options, including counteratack capabilities, as it looks to strengthen its defences in the face of repeated missile launches from North Korea.
South Korea also said it would boost its military and increase allied co-operation.
The United States said it strongly condemned
North Korea’s “dangerous and reckless” decision to launch a long-range ballistic missile over Japan.
“This action is destabilising and shows the DPRK’S blatant disregard for United Nations Security Council resolutions and international safety norms,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement, using the initials for North Korea’s official name.