North launches a ballistic missile into the sea between Japan and Korea

South Korea’s SEOUL As part of its provocative series of weapons tests, North Korea shot a ballistic missile at a high angle that touched down between the Korean Peninsula and Japan early on Thursday. The launch caused Japan to issue an evacuation order for a northern island, which was later withdrawn, demonstrating the neighbours of North Korea’s watchfulness over its growing missile threats.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea, the missile that was fired from a location close to Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, headed towards the seas off the country’s east coast. The statement didn’t specify how far the missile flew; it only said that it had a medium or longer range.

Yasukazu Hamada, the defence minister of Japan, warned journalists that North Korea may have launched an intercontinental ballistic missile at a high angle. According to Hamada, the missile missed Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

According to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the National Security Council will meet to discuss the launch. When questioned about the veracity of Japan’s information on upcoming North Korean launches, Kishida responded that the government is reviewing all relevant information, including alerts.

Frequently, North Korea conducts missile tests over the seas between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. All of its previous ICBM launches were local, although on elevated trajectories to avoid the surrounding nations.

Unless they decide that weapons flew in the direction of their territory, South Korea and Japan normally don’t issue evacuation orders for North Korean launches.

However, following Thursday’s launch, the Japanese authorities advised residents of Hokkaido, the country’s most northerly island, to seek safety. The government then apologised and withdrew its missile warning, claiming that its analysis had shown there was little chance a missile might land close to Hokkaido.

Although the reason Japan ordered a missile that didn’t land close to the island is unclear, the episode suggests that it was acting cautiously due to North Korea’s escalating missile threats.

When a North Korean intermediate-range missile sailed over Japan in a launch that showed it had the ability to reach the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam last October, Japanese officials issued a similar evacuation order. Although no injuries were reported prior to the weapon’s arrival in the Pacific, Japanese authorities at the time advised citizens in its northeastern districts to seek cover and stopped trains.

The North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had promised to increase his nuclear weapons in “practical and offensive” methods before Thursday’s launch.

About 100 missiles, many of which are nuclear-capable and can reach the U.S. mainland, South Korea, and Japan, have been launched by North Korea this year and in 2022.