Three days after the latest missile test, North Korea fires another ballistic missile. The rocket apparently flies over Japan, and evacuation alarms are briefly raised in parts of the island.
North Korea has continued the recent series of missile tests. According to the South Korean military, a medium-range ballistic missile flew towards the Sea of Japan on Tuesday (local time). The South Korean news agency Yonhap reports that the rocket was launched in the northern North Korean province of Jagang near the border with China. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced a determined response. According to him, the rocket flew 4,000 kilometers.
In Japan, the launch triggered the country's missile warning system. In two northern regions of the country, the population was asked to go to shelters. Half an hour later, the prime minister's office tweeted, "A projectile that appears to be a North Korean ballistic missile has probably passed over Japan." The Japan Coast Guard said the missile appeared to have already landed in the sea and warned ships not to approach falling objects.
North Korea had just tested two ballistic missiles on Saturday - that was the fourth missile launch in a week. UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from testing ballistic missiles of any range, which, depending on the design, can also carry a nuclear warhead.
Observers also see North Korea's recent rocket tests as a reaction to the recent naval maneuvers by South Korean and US forces. The aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan also took part in the four-day naval exercises. It was the first deployment of a US aircraft carrier to South Korea in almost four years. North Korea regularly accuses the United States of preparing an attack through its military maneuvers with South Korea - which both countries deny. Tensions in the region have risen sharply following a series of nuclear-capable missile tests by North Korea this year. The country is also reportedly preparing to launch a submarine ballistic missile and possibly its first nuclear test since 2017.
