Defense & Security

N. Korea Fires Ballistic Missile toward Sea of Japan

AP
A TV shows J-Alert or National Early Warning System to the Japanese residents on Thursday in Yokohama, south of Tokyo.

Jiji Press

10:01 JST, April 13, 2023

TOKYO (Jiji Press)—North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan on Thursday, its first ballistic missile launch since March 27.

According to the Defense Ministry, the missile is believed to have fallen already.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed his government to gather and analyze information, provide necessary information to the public swiftly and ensure the safety of aircraft and vessels.

The launch prompted Japan’s J-Alert system to issue an early warning that the missile was forecast to fall in an area near Hokkaido, the northernmost region, around 8 a.m. (11 p.m. Wednesday GMT), urging residents to evacuate immediately.

But Tokyo later corrected the warning. The Japan Coast Guard said that the missile was no longer forecast to fall in such an area.

North Korea has not responded to routine cross-border calls through its liaison communication line with South Korea since Friday.