The Japanese authorities urged the population to take refuge from the projectile that exceeded 17 times the speed of sound
North Korea tonight fired a medium-range ballistic missile that flew over Japan, prompting the country to activate its alarm system and urge the population to seek refuge. The last time Pyongyang fired a missile over Japan was in 2017, amid heightened tensions between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and then-US President Donald Trump.
The South Korean military said it had “detected a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile launched from the Mupyong-ri area in Jagang province at around 7:23 a.m. (2223 GMT Monday) and passed over Japan eastwards.” In a subsequent statement, he specified that the projectile flew 4,500 kilometers to an altitude of 970 kilometers and reached a speed of Mach 17, which is equivalent to 17 times the speed of sound.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol denounced “a provocation” contrary to United Nations regulations and called for “a strong response and the taking of corresponding measures in cooperation with the United States and the international community” .
Tokyo also reported the firing of the missile through Pyongyang and issued an evacuation warning in two northern regions for their residents to take refuge in buildings or underground. “It is believed that a ballistic missile passed over our country and fell into the Pacific Ocean. This is an act of violence after the recent repeated firing of ballistic missiles. We strongly condemn it,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said.
Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said North Korea has “fired Hwasong 12 missiles four times in the past, so this could be the same type.” If confirmed, the flight distance, which Tokyo estimated at 4,600 km, would be a record for this type of projectile, the minister said.
The US Indo-Pacific Command condemned the launch of North Korea and reaffirmed its commitment to the defense of Japan and South Korea. “The United States condemns these actions and calls on North Korea to refrain from further illegal and destabilizing actions,” the statement said.
Likewise, the White House announced that National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan was speaking separately about the missile with his colleagues from Japan and South Korea. “In both talks, the National Security Adviser has consulted on appropriate and robust joint responses,” National Security spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement.
With negotiations with Washington and Seoul long stalled, Kim redoubled his efforts to modernize the nuclear power’s arsenal and conducted a record number of weapons tests, including the first intercontinental missile launched since 2017. Last week, Pyongyang fired as many as four short-range missiles. missiles, including one just hours after US Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to Seoul.
During his trip, Harris traveled to the Demilitarized Zone dividing the peninsula to demonstrate the White House’s commitment to South Korea. In parallel with this escalation of tests in the communist country, Seoul, Tokyo and Washington have intensified their joint military exercises. Days ago, Seoul and Washington conducted large-scale naval exercises off the peninsula and on Friday they are planning submarine maneuvers with Japan, the first in five years. These exercises disrupt North Korea, which they see as rehearsals for a possible invasion.
“If Pyongyang fired a missile over Japan, it would significantly escalate the recent provocations,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. But according to him, “Pyongyang is still in the cycle of provocation and testing.” “The Kim regime is developing weapons such as tactical nuclear warheads or submarine-fired ballistic missiles as part of a long-term strategy to defeat South Korea in an arms race and drive a wedge between America’s allies,” it added.
Washington and Seoul have been warning for months that the communist country is preparing a new test of a nuclear weapon. According to them, this could happen shortly after the Congress of the Communist Party of China on October 16. North Korea, under multiple United Nations sanctions for its weapons program, has so far conducted six nuclear weapons tests, the last in 2017.
Source: La Verdad
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