North Korea launched a ballistic missile that landed in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan on Thursday, prompting Japan to order residents on an island to take shelter as a precaution. The order has been lifted.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staffs said the North Korean missile launched from near the capital Pyongyang flew toward the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The statement described the missile as a weapon with a medium or longer range but didn't say how far the missile flew.
Earlier, the launch had prompted the Japanese government to urge people to seek shelter on the northernmost island of Hokkaido. The government then corrected and retracted its missile alert saying its analysis showed there was no possibility of a missile landing near Hokkaido. Officials in charge of the government crisis management division could not be immediately reached.
This year, North Korea has launched about 30 missiles in response to South Korean-U.S. military drills that it views as a rehearsal for an invasion. South Korean and U.S. officials say their drills are defensive in nature and were arranged to respond to North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats.
North Korea has long argued that U.S.-led military exercises in the region are proof of Washington's hostility against Pyongyang. The North has said it was compelled to develop nuclear weapons to deal with U.S. military threats, though U.S. and South Korean officials have steadfastly said they have no intention of invading the North.
On Tuesday, South Korean Unification Minister Kwon Youngse, Seoul's point man on the North, expressed "strong regret" over North Korea's "unilateral and irresponsible attitude" over the hotlines. Kwon also warned unspecified legal action over the North's use of South Korean assets at a now-stalled inter-Korean factory park in North Korea.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Seoul: North Korea launches ballistic missile toward sea - Terrace StandardJapan issues, then rescinds, an alert for north island to take shelter
Read more »
North Korea launched ballistic missile toward sea, South Korea saysNorth Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the sea on Thursday, South Korea's military said, days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to enhance his nuclear arsenal in more “practical and offensive” ways.
Read more »
North Korea's Kim calls for more 'practical, offensive' war deterrenceSEOUL — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for strengthening the country’s war deterrence in a “more practical and offensive” manner to counter what it…
Read more »
Temporarily closed: College and North Park streetsTraffic will be blocked for a while this morning (Tuesday) in a busy part of Belleville. A vehicle hit a traff...
Read more »
North Korean leader vows 'offensive' nuclear expansionNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to enhance his nuclear arsenal in more \u0022practical and offensive\u0022 ways.
Read more »
North Korean leader vows 'offensive' nuclear expansionNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to enhance his nuclear arsenal in more “practical and offensive” ways as he met with senior military officials to discuss the country’s war preparations in the face of his rivals’ “frantic” military exercises, state media said Tuesday.
Read more »