In the early hours of Tuesday, North Korea fired a missile over Japan. The missile, which is said to be Hwasong-12, a recently developed intermediate-range missile by North Korea, flew over Japan and ended up in sea waters near the northern region of Hokkaido.
The latest development has increased ongoing tensions between North Korea and rest of the world. This comes at a time when the United States and South Korean armies are conducting their routine annual military drills in Korean Peninsula, a disputed region where North Korea has an objection.
This was not the first incident of North Korea firing missiles in the recent times. Earlier this month, it had fired a missile towards the US which had finished in the waters too. Donald Trump, the US president had warned North Korea of extreme consequences if it continues to warn the US.
Over the last few years, North Korea has been testing a number of missiles and claims to have developed a huge ammunition base, however, Tuesday’s incident of firing a missile over Japan is being termed as a rare incident and it might call for some action from the other countries against North Korea. North Korea, under the leadership of Kim Jong-Un, has been vocal in its stand against countries like the US, Japan and South Korea.
Talking to reporters after the missile attack, Shinzo Abe, Japanese Prime Minister said that the latest incident has given a threat to the nation and that he will call for an immediate meeting at the UN to unite the world leaders against North Korea. He also stated that the test was a violation of UN regulations and that a strict action needs to be taken against North Korea for challenging the world security again and again.
The attack attracted a strong reaction from South Korea too. A statement issued by the foreign ministry of South Korea stated that if North Korea continues to provoke the neighbours through nuclear and missile tests, it will respond as needed and will not shy away from taking help of nations like the US.