North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles over Japan, Tokyo says

Japan says missiles fired by North Korea flew over northern Japan on Thursday, the latest in a series of weapons tests that have raised tensions in the region.

The announcement by Japan’s Prime Minister’s Office came shortly after South Korea’s military said it detected North Korea launching at least one ballistic missile toward its eastern sea.

Japan said more than one missile was fired, although it didn’t immediately say how many. It said the missiles landed in the Pacific Ocean, and triggered alerts in three northern prefectures.

Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff didn’t immediate confirm what type of missile it detected or how far the weapon flew.

On Oct. 4, North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan for the first time in five years.   

The launch came a day after North Korea fired more than 20 missiles, the most it has fired in a single day ever. One of those missile flew in the direction of a populated South Korean island and landed near the rivals’ tense sea border, triggering air raid sirens and forcing residents in Ulleung island to evacuate. South Korea quickly responded by launching its own missiles in the same border area. 

Wednesday’s launches came hours after North Korea threatened to use nuclear weapons to get the U.S. and South Korea to “pay the most horrible price in history” in protest of ongoing South Korean-U.S. military drills that it views as a rehearsal for a potential invasion.

In September, North Korea’s parliament unveiled a new “first use” doctrine in which Pyongyang could launch a preemptive nuclear strike. That drew concern among America’s regional allies of Japan and South Korea. The two Koreas are technically still in a state of war, and Seoul relies on the U.S. for protection. 

The last attempt at diplomacy under the Trump administration collapsed after a high profile summit between President Trump and Kim in Hanoi, Vietnam, in February 2019. While the two leaders celebrated their personal connections, no deal was brokered and North Korea’s nuclear development continued. The Biden administration’s outreach has also fallen short.