North Korean missile launch puts South Korea and Japan on high alert
The rocket was launched from North Korea Early Wednesday morning, neighboring South Korea and Japan were put on high alert.
South Korean media reported that the presidential administration called a security meeting after the launch.
FILE: This photograph provided by the North Korean government shows a rocket test with a test satellite at North Korea’s Sohae Space Center December 1. 18, 2022. (Central Korean News Agency/Korean News Service via AP)
The Joint Chiefs of Staff of the South did not provide any details about the flight on Wednesday.
Following the launch, officials in the South Korean capital, Seoul, sent out alerts to residents via loudspeakers and smartphones to prepare for evacuation, but there were no immediate reports of damage or malfunctions.
Officials later said the evacuation warning had been issued in error.
Meanwhile, residents of Okinawa, Japan, were advised to take shelter.
While the exact purpose of the rocket launch remains unclear, it came about after the North announced a plan to launch its rocket. first military spy satellite into orbit to monitor the joint military exercises of the United States and South Korea.
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The Japan Coast Guard said on Monday that North Korea had informed it of a plan to launch a satellite between May 31 and June 11. safety warnings for ships in the area on those dates due to the potential danger of falling debris.
The satellite launch by North Korea is in violation of UN Security Council resolutions banning the country from using ballistic technology as it is seen as a front for missile testing.
North Korea launched Earth observation satellites into orbit in 2012 and 2016, although their capability has been questioned.
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Foreign experts say these earlier satellites never transmitted images back to North Korea, and analysts say the new device, shown in state media in recent weeks, was too small and crudely designed to process and transmit high-resolution images.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.