The Communist dictatorship of North Korea fired a missile over Japan, which has worsened relationships between the countries. The missile landed in waters of Hokkaido on Tuesday. The missile launch took place while the U.S. and South Korea are busy with their military drills and it seems the missile was a Hwasong-12 type.
The North Korean government threatened to fire these missiles earlier this month after the U.S. President stated that Pyongyang would have to face a "fiery" answer if it keeps threatening America. The Communist Country has had many tests under the government of Kim Jong-un, but firing one of them over Japan rarely happens.
The missile was launched from a place near Pyongyang, and it flew 2,700 km.
More details on the crisis
Shinzo Abe, the Japanese Prime Minister, complained about the aggressive behavior of Pyongyang. The U.S. backs the Japanese government and both countries have take actions against North Korea in the form of sanctions. The South Korean government is expected to discuss the latest developments with Japan and the U.S.
According to ABC Net, "South Korea's Yonhap news agency said top US and South Korean military officers had agreed to a strong response, including possible unspecified military measures." In the meantime, the Pentagon stated that the North Korean missile wasn't a threat to the United States.
North Korea and the U.S. were engaged in a war between 1950 and 1953 and the countries have never signed a peace treaty, instead settling for a ceasefire. This means that technically both countries are still at war. The Communist regime has repeatedly said that it will never abandon the development of its ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.
Sanctions and pressure
The North Korean regime has been aggressive over the past few months, which resulted in the United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions a few weeks ago. When North Korea fired the most recent missile, the Japanese military didn't try to destroy it and it broke into three pieces and fell in the waters of Hokkaido.
Malcolm Turnbull, the Australian Prime Minister, wants China to put more pressure on the Communist regime. Turnbull wants more action, not just words by the Chinese government.
This is not the first time
The North Korean Government launched a rocket over Japan in 2009, but they said that it was a communications satellite. The first space launches of North Korea took place in 1998 and they flew over Japan.
In this latest incident, Japanese media warned the people about the incoming missile so they could take shelter, and the bullet trains stopped running. There were many warnings by loudspeakers in the town of Hokkaido.
