Another missile test conducted by North Korea has caused confusion in the northern part of Japan, where an evacuation was announced, which was withdrawn after half an hour, writes the BBC.
On the morning of the 13th of April, alarm sirens sounded on the island of Hokkaido, and residents were ordered to evacuate immediately. Authorities later called off the evacuation and said the missile had not landed near the island. It flew about 1,000 kilometers, and the South Korean government called it a serious provocation.
Japan’s coast guard reported that the missile fell into the sea east of North Korea, but could not confirm that it crossed Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said that Pyongyang’s missile fiddling poses a serious and unavoidable threat to Japan’s security.
On the island of Hokkaido,
rail traffic was temporarily suspended, and schools also started later than usual.
In the past week, North Korean leaders have not returned South Korea’s calls, causing alarm in Seoul. The two countries usually make mutual calls at 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM local time through a military communication line. Daily communication takes place to avoid border clashes. South Korean officials have described the cutoff as unilateral and irresponsible.
This is an important week in North Korea – it marks the 11th anniversary of its leader’s rule, and the country tends to mark it with displays of military progress. It has worked to increase its nuclear arsenal and build better weapons. North Korea has also condemned joint military exercises between the US and South Korea, accusing them of escalating the situation.
Also in October 2022, the people of Japan were woken up by alarm sirens when North Korea launched a ballistic missile over Japan. That time, it crashed into the Pacific Ocean far off the coast of Japan, and no one was hurt.
Read also: North Korea: Drills threaten to turn region into war zone