Tension As North Korea Fires Missile Over Japan Mainland

North Korea on Tuesday launched a fired a missile over northern Japan, South Korea officials say.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the missile travelled about 2,700 kilometres and reached a maximum height of 550km.

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It flew over Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido before breaking into three pieces and falling into the sea about 1,180 km to the east of Japan.

In a rare move, Tuesday’s launch was the first time Pyongyang has successfully fired a missile over Japan mainland since 1998.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe described the move as a “most serious and grave” threat.

“The outrageous act of firing a missile over our country is an unprecedented, serious and grave threat and greatly damages regional peace and security,” Abe, who shared a 40-minute phone conversation with US President Donald Trump in response to the launch told reporters in Tokyo.

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He said the two leaders had agreed to call for an immediate emergency meeting of the UN security council “and increase the pressure towards North Korea.”

“We will make utmost efforts to firmly protect the lives of the people,” he told reporters as he entered his office for emergency meetings.

During the call, Trump reiterated that the United States “stands with Japan 100%” said Abe.

South Korea responded by conducting a bombing drill at 9:30 a.m. local time to test its “capability to destroy the North Korean leadership” in cases of emergency, an official with the country’s Defense Ministry told CNN.

Yoon Young-chan, the head of South Korea’s Presidential Office Public Affairs Office, told reporters that four F-15K fighter jets dropped eight one-ton MK-84 bombs at a shooting range.

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The operation was meant “to showcase a strong punishment capability against the North,” he said.

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