North Korea launches ballistic missile as Japan urges residents to evacuate

The Japanese government has warned that debris may land near the island of Hokkaido

North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the sea off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula at around 8:00 a.m. (23:00 in Lisbon) on Thursday, Reuters quoted South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff as saying. Japan’s coast guard also said North Korea had launched a ballistic missile.

According to the agency, the missile landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

However, through the J-Alert warning system, the Japanese government warned of debris falling near the island of Hokkaido and urged residents to take shelter indoors.

Later, the Japanese government assured that the missiles were no longer likely to land in Hokkaido or around the region, and the Japanese Coast Guard said the missile had already landed. The launch comes two days after KCNA announced that leader Kim Jong Un had called for the country’s military deterrence to be strengthened in a “more practical and offensive” manner to counter what he called aggressive moves by the United States. North Korea has criticized recent joint military exercises between the US and South Korea, saying they are raising tensions.