A missile launch by North Korea sparked confusion in northern Japan, where an evacuation order was issued and then withdrawn within 30 minutes.
Sirens were sounding in Hokkaido and residents were told to “evacuate immediately” on Thursday morning.
Officials later said the missile did not land near the island and withdrew the alert.
Tensions are rising in the region, as North Korea has already launched 27 missiles this year.
The projectile flew about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), in what the South Korean military described as a “serious provocation.”
The missile is believed to be medium- or long-range, but details of the weapon tested Thursday morning have not yet been released.
Meanwhile, the Japanese coast guard said the missile had gone down in waters east of North Korea. Mr. Hamada said he could not confirm whether the missile was fired over Japan’s exclusive economic zone.
JEE News reported that schools in Hokkaido delayed their start times and some train services were suspended.
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Pyongyang’s repeated missile launches posed a “serious and imminent threat” to Japan’s security.
US National Security Council spokesman Adrian Watson said the latest launch “raises unnecessary tensions and risks of destabilizing the security situation in the region”.
The latest launch comes days after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered his military to take a “more pragmatic and aggressive” approach to deterring war, according to JEE News.
For the past week, North Korea has not been answering twice-daily phone calls from South Korea, alarming the government in Seoul.
The two Koreas usually exchange calls through the military hotline at 09:00 and 15:00 local time (00:00 and 06:00 GMT) – these daily check-ins are intended to prevent clashes on the countries’ border. .
Earlier this week, South Korean Unification Minister Kwon Young-si called the North’s communications suspension “unilateral and irresponsible.”
“Pyongyang’s provocation continues after the U.S. protests South Korea’s defense drills because Kim Jong-un has not yet finished demonstrating his nuclear delivery capabilities,” said Leif-Erik Eisley, a professor at EVA University in Seoul. “
“However, North Koreans literally do not answer the phone, hotlines and lack of diplomacy increase the risk of unintended escalation,” he said.
It is an important week for North Korea as it celebrates Mr Kim’s 11th year in power – the country tends to mark those anniversaries with displays of military progress.
North Korea is working to expand its nuclear arsenal and build ever more advanced weapons. He has also criticized joint military exercises between the US and South Korea, accusing them of escalating tensions.
The latest missile launch also comes two days before North Korea’s founding leader Kim Il Sung’s birthday, the biggest annual holiday on the country’s calendar.
In October 2022, residents of northern Japan woke up to similar sirens and text alerts after North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan.
The missile traveled 4,500 km (2,800 mi) and landed in the Pacific Ocean, not far from Japan, and no casualties were reported.
