North Korea fired a ballistic missile on Thursday, according to South Korea’s military, triggering a scare in northern Japan.
The launch prompted Japan’s government-run emergency broadcasting system, J-Alert, to warn millions of residents on the northern island of Hokkaido to “evacuate immediately” and take immediate cover in a building or underground, saying the missile was expected to land around 8 a.m.
The Japanese government soon lifted the order, saying the warning system had erroneously predicted that the missile would fall near the island.
A TV shows J-Alert or National Early Warning System to Japanese residents on the island of Hokkaido on April 13, 2023. (Shuji Kajiyama/AP Photo)
“The Japanese government is warning that North Korea appears to have launched at least one ballistic missile. The government is urging everyone in Hokkaido to seek shelter,” the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo announced on Twitter, before issuing a separate statement later: “Authorities report that it has been confirmed that the possibility of the missile falling in Hokkaido and its vicinity has been eliminated.”…