Residents of northern Japan were warned to “take cover” Tuesday as radar detected a missile launched from North Korea headed their way.
The J-Alert warning system of the Japanese government warned residents in the area of Hokkaido to take precautions, Reuters reported.
The as-yet unidentified missile was fired from the Sunan region near Pyongyang just before 6 am local time, according to the South Korean military.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters following the launch, “We will make utmost efforts to firmly protect the lives of the people.” No effort was made by Japan to shoot the missile down.
The Japanese leader made the brief statement as he entered his office for an emergency meeting on the missile fire.
The South Korean national security council also held an emergency meeting on Monday night.
Pyongyang fired three short-range ballistic missiles in the early hours of this past Saturday off North Korea’s east coast, from Kangwon province. They flew 155 miles before landing in the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.