US Defense Dept: North Korea fires missile over Japan

Newscast Media TOKYO—North Korea has fired a ballistic missile, which reportedly passed through Japan’s airspace near Hokkaido, and is believed to have fallen in the Pacific Ocean some 2,000 km east of the island.

The country's intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) launch over Japan “put millions of Japanese into duck and cover” mode, said US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. The launch triggered an alert in Japan as it flew through the country’s airspace.

Following the incident, top US officials coordinated fully and immediately made the necessary "calls," Mattis told reporters traveling with him during a visit to the US Strategic Command.

As the projectile passed over Japanese airspace near Hokkaido at around 7.06am local time, the government's J Alert warning system, through TV, radio and loudspeakers, urged residents of Hokkaido and Tohoku to seek shelter.

According to the US Pacific Command, the missile did not pose any threat to the US mainland or the US Pacific territory of Guam, spokesman Dave Benham said.

Japan and South Korea denounced Pyongyang’s test launch as a provocative action that raises regional tensions and urged a firm response. The United Nations Security Council will reportedly meet Friday at the request of the United States and Japan to discuss the issue.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said “these continued provocations only deepen North Korea's diplomatic and economic isolation.” On Monday, the 15-member UNSC unanimously approved the 9th round of sanctions against Pyongyang, targeting its textile exports and oil imports.

“China and Russia must indicate their intolerance for these reckless missile launches by taking direct actions of their own,” Tillerson said in a statement, despite Moscow and Beijing repeatedly and firmly denouncing Pyongyang’s actions.

Both countries supported the UNSC resolutions on North Korea and even suggested their own way out of the crisis, seeing that sanctions are futile and cannot break the vicious cycle. Moscow and Beijing has proposed a so-called “double-freeze” initiative, which calls for Pyongyang to suspend its nuclear and ballistic missile tests in exchange for a halt to joint US-South Korea military drills. The idea, however, has been firmly rejected by the United States, which says it reserves right to conduct military drills with allies wherever they please. Add Comments>>

Search