Sirens briefly sound in South Korea and Japan amid fears North Korea fired ... trends now
North Korea has launched what is believed to be a rocket as sirens sounded in South Korea and Japan amid fears Kim Jong Un had launched a ballistic missile.
Alarms were heard across the South Korean capital Seoul early this morning as a officials sent alerts over public speakers and smartphones for residents to prepare for evacuation.
But there were no reports of damages or major disruption and Seoul later lifted the alert.
The rocket was launched about 6:30 a.m. from the North's northwestern Tongchang-ri area, where the country's main space launch center is located, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
This was a day after North Korea announced a plan to put its first military spy satellite into orbit, South Korea's military has said.
This satellite picture by Planet Labs PBC shows the Sohae Satellite Launching Station near Tongchang-ri, North Korea on Tuesday
This photo provided by the North Korean government shows what it says is a test of a rocket with the test satellite at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in North Korea on Dec. 18, 2022. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified.
The Japanese government activated a 'J-Alert' missile warning system for its Okinawa prefecture in southwestern Japan, believed to be in the path of the rocket, which North Korea said was carrying a satellite.
'Please evacuate into buildings or underground,' the alert said. It was also broadcast on public television NHK.
Japan's coast guard said Monday that North Korea informed it of a plan to launch a satellite between May 31 and June 11. Japan's defense minister had ordered its forces to shoot down the satellite or debris, if any entered Japanese territory.
A satellite launch by North Korea is a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban the country from using ballistic technology because it's regarded as a cover for missile tests.
Ri Pyong Chol, a top North Korean official and close associate of leader Kim Jong Un, had said on Tuesday that North Korea was compelled to secure 'a reliable reconnaissance and information' system because of what it said were escalating
