Evacuation began in Hokkaido after North Korea launched a ballistic missile

After North Korea launched a ballistic missile towards the Sea of Japan, Japan announced an evacuation in some areas, such as the northern prefecture of Hokkaido, where authorities warned residents of a possible strike. The Japanese Defense Ministry also confirmed the launch of the missile, but did not provide detailed information about the launch. An emergency headquarters has been set up in the office of the Prime Minister of Japan, which checks information about the launch and the damage it could cause.

Due to a possible missile strike, train traffic was stopped in Hokkaido Prefecture and expressways were closed. Residents received a message through the national alert system J-Alert, urging them to seek shelter and not approach the windows. Eventually, the Japanese Coast Guard reported that the missile had fallen, and they are determining the area of its fall. The Japanese government reported that there is no longer a threat of its crash on the island, and most likely, the rocket fell outside the exclusive zone of Japan.

On the eve of this, Yonhap reported that the North Korean military did not respond to calls from their South Korean counterparts for six days, which is an unusual phenomenon, since the military usually contacts twice a day via military communications.