2023-07-18 21:34:05
MADRID, 18 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Japan Coast Guard has warned of the launch of possible ballistic missiles by North Korea, a practice that Tokyo has repeatedly denounced in the last week.
The first alert occurred around 3:30 in the morning (local time), when the Coast Guard sighted “what could be a ballistic missile” from North Korea, according to the Japanese NHK radio television.
Barely fifteen minutes later, the Ministry of Defense reported that the possible missile had already fallen in the waters of the Sea of Japan, and then warned of a second launch of a North Korean projectile.
For its part, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff has assured that its northern neighbor has indeed launched two short-range ballistic missiles in the early hours of the morning. Seoul says it is investigating what happened together with the United States.
The Japanese government has convened an emergency meeting composed of officials from various ministries and agencies related to emergency management. He has also urged ships in navigation to remain vigilant.
Japanese government officials have been convinced that the projectiles launched from North Korea have hit the waters of the Sea of Japan but outside Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
After the aforementioned emergency meeting, the Defense Minister, Yasukazu Hamada, has detailed that the North Korean missiles have been launched from the west coast of the country, at the same time that he has stressed that “for the moment there is no information about the damage”. .
These alleged North Korean ballistic missile launches come just two days after the US, Japanese and South Korean militaries conducted a joint missile defense naval exercise.
Washington, Tokyo and Seoul thus tried to show strength and unity, while improving their preparation, in the face of the growing nuclear and ballistic missile threat manifested by Pyongyang.
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