According to the South Korean military, North Korea may have also fired an ICBM towards the open sea during new missile tests.
North Korea shot down at least three ballistic missiles on Thursday morning (local time), one of which appeared to be a long-range missile, the South Korean Armed Forces General Staff said. All three were flying towards the Sea of Japan (Korean: East Sea).
Japan’s government in Tokyo also announced that one of the missiles had disappeared from radar over the Japan Sea. There has been no damage in Japan from the missiles. Residents in some northeastern and central Japan prefectures had previously been asked to remain in their homes for safety.
Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said the first missile was fired at around 7:40 a.m. local time. The potential trajectory could have sent the missile flying over Japan. But she disappeared from the radar over the Japan Sea. The reason for the disappearance from the radar is still under investigation, it said. On October 4, a North Korean missile flew over Japan.
Despite international criticism, the self-declared nuclear power North Korea has been carrying out rocket tests at an unusually high frequency since the end of September. According to South Korean information, the country had only fired more than 20 rockets on the east and west coasts on Wednesday.
