North Korea fired an apparent long-range ballistic missile on Thursday — possibly of a stealthy solid-fuel variant — prompting Japan to issue a rare alert that was later rescinded for residents of Hokkaido to seek immediate shelter.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the government had confirmed that “no missile had landed within Japanese territory” and that Tokyo was continuing to analyze the launch.
In a news conference Thursday morning, Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said an intercontinental ballistic missile-class weapon appeared to have been fired eastward at a high angle, but he added that the ministry had not confirmed whether it had fallen into Japan's exclusive economic zone, which extends 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from its coast. He did not take questions after his brief remarks.