The projectile was picked up by Japanese radar systems after launch, and Japan’s Defense Ministry reported that Pyongyang had “fired something that looked like a ballistic missile,” immediately suggesting it could be a long- or intermediate-range weapon.
It will be the 15th weapons test conducted this year by the North Korean regime, which has launched several in response to the maneuvers Seoul and Washington are currently conducting in the south of the peninsula.
North Korea fired a Hwasong-17 ICBM, the longest potential range in its arsenal, into the Sea of Japan on March 16 and continued firing, as did a Hwasong-15 (second longest range) on February 18. The projectile landed in the waters southwest of the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
Also Read: North Korea fires unidentified ballistic missile into Sea of Japan
In fact, Hokkaido authorities activated the anti-aircraft alert shortly after launch due to the possibility of the bullet hitting the periphery of the island, which is home to more than five million people.
Japanese officials updated this warning around 8:20 a.m. local time (11:20 p.m. Wednesday), noting that the missile is no longer likely to land on or near Hokkaido Island.
Earlier, JR Hokkaido, the company that operated the railway lines in that province, suspended all activities just before 8 a.m. local time, while Japan’s Transport Ministry warned ships and aircraft operating in the area of a possible missile strike.
The Japan Coast Guard said they were already at sea in the waters off Hokkaido as of 8:00 am (Wednesday 11:00 pm GMT) and later at 8:19 am and expected to have crashed. at an uncertain point.
Last month, Pyongyang responded to major spring exercises in Seoul and Washington, in which Tokyo was temporarily involved, with tests of several weapons, including a new nuclear-powered guided drone or a torpedo.
In return, the regime displayed tactical warheads for the first time, underlining its focus on upgrading its close-range nuclear weapons arsenal for possible use against South Korea or neighboring countries such as Japan, which also host US bases.
Source: Ultimahora
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Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.