North Korea missile flies over Japan; stopping trains, sparking panic

Nuclear-armed North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile farther than ever before on Tuesday, sending it soaring over Japan, for the first time in five years, and prompting a warning for residents there to take cover. The test lead to East Japan Railway suspending operations. 
 

It was the first North Korean missile to follow such a trajectory since 2017, and its estimated 4,600 km range was the longest travelled by a North Korean test missile, which are usually ‘lofted’ high into space to avoid flying over neighboring countries.
 

In response, US and South Korean warplanes practiced bombing a target in the Yellow Sea and Japan warned its citizens to take cover and suspended some train services while the missile passed over its north before falling into the Pacific Ocean.

The missile splashed down in the Western Pacific about 3,200 kilometers east of Japan, officials in Tokyo said, adding there were no reports of damage. 
 

Japanese PM Fumio Kishida condemned the launch and South Korean President warned of a “resolute response.” The United States condemned North Korea’s “dangerous and reckless” launch. Asian defense-related companies gained in Tuesday trading in Tokyo and Seoul after the launch. 

There may be further provocations to come amid warnings that Kim’s regime is preparing to test a nuclear bomb.
 

The test represented the longest-range weapon fired by North Korea since May, back to 2017 when Kim’s regime unleashed its rockets and odetonated a nuclear bomb.