North Korea fires ballistic missile prompting wrong alert in Japan

North Korea fired an “unspecified ballistic missile”, Seoul’s military said. The details of the missile were not known but owing to the launch, Japan mistakenly predicted that it would fall near the island prompting an evacuation order for residents of the northern island of Hokkaido which was later lifted, news agency Reuters reported.

“North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile into East Sea,” Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, without giving any further details, AFP reported. Here are top points on North Korea’s ballistic missile launch:

Japan confirmed the launch telling residents of Hokkaido to “evacuate immediately” and seek shelter but local officials later said that there was “no possibility” of the missile hitting the island.

The launch comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held a meeting with his top officials to discuss ways to “cope with the his top officials calating moves of the US imperialists and the south Korean puppet traitors to unleash a war of aggression.”

Following the meeting, Kim Jong Un ordered that the country’s deterrence capabilities be strengthened.
Earlier this year, the North Korean leader had also ordered the country’s military to intensify drills to prepare for a “real war”.

Earlier, North Korea has claimed to have conducted three tests of underwater drones- all in less than three weeks.

North Korea has also cut off hotline contact with Seoul last which which South Korea called “irresponsible”.