In a recent development, two ballistic missiles launched by North Korea landed within Japan’s exclusive economic zone on Thursday, according to a defense ministry official in Tokyo.
The exclusive economic zone extends up to 200 nautical miles from Japan’s coast, surpassing its territorial waters.
Kimi Onoda, the parliamentary vice-minister of defense, confirmed the incident, stating, “Two ballistic missiles fell inside the EEZ.” Fortunately, there were no reports of damage, as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida assured the public following the announcement by South Korea’s military about North Korea’s latest prohibited weapons tests.
Prime Minister Kishida condemned the launches, emphasising that they violated relevant UN Security Council resolutions and represented a reckless act escalating provocations against the international community. During a press conference, he stated, “Japan has lodged a firm protest against North Korea.”
This recent incident follows a similar occurrence two weeks ago when Japan activated its missile alert warning system in the southern Okinawa region after North Korea’s failed attempt to launch a satellite into space.
North Korean state media acknowledged the failure, attributing it to an “accident” during the satellite’s flight, leading to its crash into the sea.
