In a massive development, a suspected ballistic missile fired from North Korea on Saturday landed within Japan's exclusive economic zone reported a prominent French newswire. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida confirmed the developments of the landing of North Korea's ballistic missile and issued emergency instructions to its people. PM's Office of Japan in a series of tweets wrote, "North Korea has launched a suspected ballistic missile. More updates to follow"
"PM’s instructions (17:26)
1. Dedicate maximum effort to gather & analyze information, & provide the public speedy & adequate information.
2. Ensure the safety of aircraft, vessels, & other assets.
3. Take all possible measures for precaution, incl. readiness for contingencies."
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PM’s instructions (17:26)
— PM's Office of Japan (@JPN_PMO) February 18, 2023
1. Dedicate maximum effort to gather & analyze information, & provide the public speedy & adequate information.
2. Ensure the safety of aircraft, vessels, & other assets.
3. Take all possible measures for precaution, incl. readiness for contingencies.
#UPDATE A suspected ballistic missile fired from North Korea on Saturday is believed to have landed within Japan's exclusive economic zone, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said. pic.twitter.com/ANmMaV8bSb
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 18, 2023
Later, reports suggested that Nuclear-armed North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the sea of Japan on Saturday ahead of the US-South Korea military drills, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement on Feb. 18. Pyongyang has been warning of a "strong response" against Washington-Seoul's military exercises in a defensive posture against Pyongyang. Japan's Coast Guard stated that the missile fired by DPRK could be a ballistic missile. An emergency alert was issued by Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's office, advising the citizens of safety protocols.
Saturday's missile launch by North Korea that has hiked tensions on the Korean peninsula comes as Pyongyang had threatened 'unprecedently persistent, strong' response to the US, and South Korea for conducting joint military drills aimed at deterring DPRK's nuclear ambitions. North Korea's authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un who ordered more than 70 ballistic missile launches in 2022, had briefly short-range missile test firing effectively on January 1. With strengthening military cooperation between Washington and Seoul and an increase in the scale of joint drills, North Korea has assumed a belligerent posture to the hawkish approach of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
North Korea's missile launch comes just days after the South Korean Defense Ministry [MoD] published a white paper underscoring the security issues with Pyongyang. In the paper, Seoul labelled North Korea “our enemy” for the first time in six years. The two Koreas held peace process talks between 2017 to 2022 which suffered stalemate under President Moon Jae-in administration, Yoon’s predecessor.