This past Tuesday evening, both South Korea and the U.S. fired off a series of missiles in response to the provocation from North Korea that took place earlier this week as it fired a ballistic missile over mainland Japan.
The Japanese government issued a warning broadcast to the residents of the country early Tuesday morning local time in the wake of North Korea firing off a missile in the direction of the northern part of mainline Japan, which is an obvious escalation. The missile eventually flew past the island nation and crashed into the Pacific Ocean. This marks the fifth such missile test over the past 10 days and the 23rd test since the first of the year.
South Korea and the U.S. fired a total of four surface-to-surface missiles in direct response to the most recent nuclear provocation from North Korea, according to a recent report from Yonhap News Agency.
The Tokyo-based U.S. Embassy highlighted the warning from Japan on Monday in the wake of the missile launch, stating that there was a “possibility it’s heading toward Japan.”
Videos popping up online highlighted the air raid sirens blaring throughout the country, calling on the people to take cover due to the obviously incoming strike.
SOUND ON: Air raid sirens wail in cities and towns around Japan, after North Korea fired a ballistic missile over the country, prompting the Japanese government to warn citizens to take shelter. https://t.co/Y4YR7eXv8S pic.twitter.com/LRvYhsY4II
— ABC News (@ABC) October 4, 2022
Sirens rang out across Japan after North Korea fired a ballistic missile over the country without warning.
Today's top stories 👉 https://t.co/PAiZ4DiULB pic.twitter.com/hfM9NFOIy0
— Sky News (@SkyNews) October 4, 2022
“You can’t ever get used to that sound,” stated 72-year-old resident Kazuyuki Tsuchiya. “It makes me feel so scared.”
The missile utilized by the North Korean military flew almost 3,000 miles, the longest distance that the isolated nation has ever managed to send a projectile.
One professor of international studies at Ewha Woman’s University in Seoul, Leif-Eric Easley stated, “The Kim regime is developing weapons such as tactical nuclear warheads and submarine-launched ballistic missiles as part of a long-term strategy to outrun South Korea in an arms race and drive wedges among U.S. allies.”
As reported by the New York Times, officials seem to think that based upon the height accomplished by the missile, which was 602 miles, the missile was an extremely long-range piece of ordinance, most likely capable of striking Guam. The last time North Korea shot a Missile over the nation of Japan was back in September of 2017.
Back when former President Donald Trump (R) sat in the white house, He issued a threat against North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un to stop all forms of threats against the United States.
“North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States,” stated Trump. “They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen. He has been very threatening … and as I said they will be met with fire, fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before.”