A missile launch by North Korea sparked confusion in northern Japan, where an evacuation order was issued and then retracted within 30 minutes. Sirens blared across Hokkaido and residents were told to "evacuate immediately" on Thursday morning. Authorities later said the missile did not land near the island and withdrew the alert. Tensions have been growing in the region, as North Korea has already fired 27 missiles this year. The projectile flew about 1,000 km (620 miles), in what South Korea's military called it a "grave provocation". The missile is believed to be of medium or long range, but details on what weapon was tested on Thursday morning have not yet been made public.
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Meanwhile, Japanese coast guards said the missile had splashed into waters to the east of North Korea. Mr. Hamada said he could not confirm whether the missile flew over Japan's exclusive economic zone. Schools in Hokkaido delayed their start times and some train services were suspended, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported. Japan's Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Pyongyang's repeated missile launches pose a "grave and imminent threat" to Japan's security. US National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the latest launch "needlessly raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region".
This latest launch came days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered his military to adopt a "more practical and offensive" manner in war deterrence, as reported by its state media agency KCNA. For the past week, North Korea has not been answering twice-daily phone calls from South Korea, which has concerned the government in Seoul. The two Koreas typically exchange calls at 09:00 and 15:00 local time (00:00 and 06:00 GMT) via a military hotline - these daily check-ins are intended to prevent clashes along the countries' border. Earlier this week, South Korea's Unification Minister Kwon Young-se on Tuesday described the North's suspension of communication as "unilateral and irresponsible". "Pyongyang's provocations continue past its protest of US-South Korea defense exercises because Kim Jong-un hasn't finished demonstrating his nuclear delivery capabilities yet," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, "However, with the North Koreans literally not answering the phone, the lack of hotlines and diplomacy increases the risk of unintended escalation," he said.
This is an important week for North Korea as it celebrates Mr. Kim's 11th year in power - the country tends to mark these anniversaries with displays of military progress. North Korea has been working to increase its nuclear arsenal and build ever-more sophisticated weapons. It has also criticized joint military exercises between the US and South Korea, accusing them of escalating tensions. The latest missile launch also comes two days before the birthday of North Korea's founding leader Kim Il Sung - the biggest annual holiday on the country's calendar. In October 2022, residents in northern Japan woke up to similar sirens and text alerts to take cover after North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan. The missile traveled 4,500km (2,800 miles) before falling into the Pacific Ocean far from Japan, and there were no reported injuries.
BBC
