Key Points
- Some people in Japanese were warned to take cover.
- The launch was part of a muscle-flexing exercise.
The Japanese government warned citizens to take cover on Tuesday as North Korea fired a ballistic missile over the country.
The launch was part of a muscle-flexing exercise in response to recent joint military exercises between the United States, South Korea, and Japan.
While the missile appeared to fly over and past Japanese territory before falling into the Pacific Ocean, Associate Lecturer in Korean studies at the University of Western Australia Caleb Kelso-Marsh said it was a sign of North Korea’s growing confidence.
How Japan responded
Japan’s Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada said Japan wouldn't rule out any options, including counterattack capabilities, as it looks to strengthen its defences in the face of repeated missile launches from North Korea.
But Mr Kelso-Marsh said Japan was limited in what it could do to retaliate or respond to North Korea.
Tokyo said it took no steps to shoot the missile down.
Japan’s Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada said Japan wouldn't rule out any options, including counterattack capabilities, as it looks to strengthen its defences in the face of repeated missile launches from North Korea. Source: Getty / Kevin Dietsch
Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called North Korea's actions "barbaric", and said the government would continue to gather and analyse information.
It was the first North Korean missile to follow such a trajectory since 2017, and Tokyo said its 4,600-kilometre range may have been the longest distance travelled for a North Korean test flight, which are more often "lofted" higher into space to avoid flying over neighbouring countries.
"North Korea's series of actions, including its repeated ballistic missile launches, threatens the peace and security of Japan, the region, and the international community, and poses a serious challenge to the entire international community, including Japan," Japan's top government spokesperson Hirokazu Matsuno, told a news conference.
International relations
North Korea on Tuesday fired a ballistic missile over Japan for the first time in five years. This photo distributed by the North Korean government shows what was said to be the test launch of a missile in Pyongyang, in 2017. Source: AAP / 朝鮮通信社/AP
He said the launch of this missile was a show of strength in retaliation to last week’s trilateral antisubmarine exercises between the United States, South Korea, and Japan
As part of these, a US aircraft carrier stopped in South Korea for the first time since 2017.
Mr Kelso-Marsh said relations between North Korea and Japan were already frosty.
“That relationship isn't particularly strong because Korea was colonised by Japan,” he said.
“North Korea certainly still views Japan as one of its main enemies along with the US.”
Should the rest of the world be concerned?
Mr Kelso-Marsh warned just because these sorts of shows of strength were increasing around the world, doesn’t mean they should be downplayed.
“I would say we should always be always be concerned,” he said.
“I think the easy thing is because it is becoming more and more regular to sort of brush that off. But the reality is that it's quite concerning, particularly the more and more erratic that North Korea seems to become in these efforts, and more unpredictable is what is doing is most concerning, so absolutely, you should be concerned.”
Caleb Kelso-Marsh Associate, lecturer in Korean studies at the University of Western Australia. Source: Supplied
Mr Kelso-Marsh said what was most worrying was that those laws allowed for pre-emptive strikes.
“I think most nations with nuclear weapons, they, in theory in that agreement that they won't use them unless it's in retaliation, whereas North Korea have had as part of this law is they are allowing preemptive strikes,” he said.
The country has completed preparations for a nuclear test, which it might look to undertake sometime between China's Communist Party Congress this month and US mid-term elections in November, South Korean MPs said last week.
Growing tensions worldwide
Recent tests have drawn relatively muted responses from Washington, which is focused on as well as other domestic and foreign crises, but the US military has stepped up displays of force in the region.
Mr Kelso-Marsh said North Korea’s missile testing, what was happening in Ukraine and combine to create a volatile global situation.
“North Korea is quite active and vocal support of what Russia is doing in Ukraine. The geopolitical environment is changing quite significantly and quite rapidly and that instability also really does pose a risk,” he said.
South Korea weighs in
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol called the test "reckless" and said it would bring a decisive response from his country's military, its allies and the international community.
While South Korea took part in the joint military activities with the US and Japan, Mr Kelso-Marsh said North and South Korea have stronger ties than most would imagine.
“From sort of an outsider looking in, there’s this misconception that North Korea and South Korea are mortal enemies, and a sense that North Korea at any moment could attack South Korea, but it probably couldn't be further from the truth,” he said.
“At least from North Korea's perspective, they still see South Korea as a long lost brother, but one that has sort of been deluded or brainwashed by the US imperialists, and so South Korea isn't an enemy of North Korea at all.
“What would be more correct would be the US is, I suppose in North Korea, seen as the enemy and they have brainwashed and in some ways tried to colonise the south.”
- With AAP.
