North Korea has fired a missile over Japan in what appears to be a deliberate escalation to get the attention of Tokyo and Washington.
The ballistic missile traveled about 4,500 km (2,800 miles) before falling into the Pacific Ocean – far enough to hit the US island of Guam if it took a different trajectory.
This is North Korea’s first missile launch over Japan since 2017. The launch prompted Japan to issue a rare alert for some citizens. The UN prohibits North Korea from testing ballistic and nuclear weapons.
Flying missiles at or over other countries without any prior warning or consultation is also against international norms. Most countries avoid it completely as it can easily be mistaken as an attack.
While not as big as a nuclear test – which could be next – it can be considered extremely provocative.
People in northern Japan, including the island of Hokkaido, were reportedly woken by sirens and text alerts that read: “North Korea appears to have launched a missile. Please evacuate to buildings or underground.”
As the rocket flew up, they were warned to watch out for falling debris. Officials later said the medium-range ballistic missile fell in the Pacific Ocean off Japan and no injuries were reported.