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'Missile launch, take cover': Another terrifying wake-up call for Japanese

42 Comments
By Shingo Ito and Hiroshi Hiyama

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42 Comments
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It is time to tell China and Russia who are the major trading partners with North Korea to stop all trade or we stop trade with them and freeze all of their assets in US controlled banks plus any ships arriving to the US will be turned away.

11 ( +17 / -6 )

It's all well and good for people to say Well, there are worse things to worry about, let's not overreact (an opinion I have heard lately) but those people aren't living right below this flight path, and their nearest and dearest aren't in the sea and in danger of having something dropped on them.

Are govts. waiting for someone to be killed before taking action?

9 ( +15 / -6 )

Incompetent Japanese government, terrifying the populace of the entire Tohoku region and Hokkaido - that's exactly what Kim wants. Better would just be to announce the launch and the estimated trajectory on TV and by cell phone and leave appropriate actions to the citizenry to decide. And quit those air-raid alarms and blaring loudspeaker announcements.

Kim will only deliberately target Japan if he's cornered and decides to go out with a bang. Enough with the fearmongering already. Sheesh.

7 ( +15 / -8 )

Scaring people like this does not help and only ups the panic ante, which is dangerous.

5 ( +13 / -8 )

One day one of his missiles will hit Japan (probably by accident) and we will have watched this idiot for years and done nothing!

6 ( +13 / -7 )

Better drag my futon over to the air raid shelter? Nope, down to the fortified basement with secret panel leading to underground tunnel network accessing the stock of the supermarkets in the city. . . Negatory on that too. Keep sleeping in every morning it is, then.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

The USA provocation is a smoke screen. North Korea is actually arming up to defend itself from China, and possibly Russia.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Japan needs to pre-empt these strikes and deploy its defences in advance. It should activate its allies US and India and keep them on standby.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Yeah stop trade with the two biggest economies in the world over a phantom threat... That would go down in history as the worst deal in the history of deals.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

These hysterical alarms are nothing more than unnecessary fearmongering.

It's just silly.

Duck and cover? Great idea!

It may suit the political agenda of some but it's just...silly!

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Foreign satellites, many of them Russian and Chinese pass over Japan every day.

Are you going to take cover every time a satellite flies above?

Comparison: satelites do not contain a warhead.

Comparison: satelites have controlled routes and are designed to remain in space.

Comparison: missiles are designed to come down on cities and people.

Comparison: satelites are not fired in anger.

1 ( +9 / -8 )

Neither those rockets are fired in anger. What you can only fathom as basic emotions is, in essence, a cold calculation. Majority is simply too oblivious and perceptionless.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

What would China or Russia do if another nation started flying missiles over their airspace?

3 ( +5 / -2 )

The hysterical reaction of the Japanese government to something flying hundreds of miles above the country is solely aimed at creating fear in the population. This fear will be used to take away freedoms and rights in order to "provide security" for the people.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

@TigersTokyoDome

Those missiles do not contain any warhead...

Those missile are controlled...

Some satellites are military ones with unknown functions....

Satellites are far more a danger by enabling strategic advantages to the owner (where and when to target)

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

"Airports in the area appeared to be unaffected, however, with Shinya Matsuura, an official at Obihiro airport, near the missile's flightpath, telling AFP that passengers there were calm and quiet."

Proof that it's all fear-mongering for the LDP. If it were TRULY concerned the FIRST thing it would do would be to ground any and all air traffic in the immediate area. But nope... that would hurt business.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

I saw one of these documentaries, cameras settled at US Tomahawk missiles launched in Middle East, I recall before Iraq invasion. All missiles are monitored not to cause any damages to airplanes or ships and be self-destroyed in safe areas because NK always do the same way to threat Japan and also because NK knows that if any fatal damage will happen it will be real war and millions of missiles will be launched against, from all USA allied countries.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

South Korea held live fire exercises and tested it's own ballistic missile in response to the NK missile this morning. The warnings are over the top but some sort of warning is necessary. And people here are arguing about whether the warnings are just fear-mongering.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Where's the CIA when you need them?

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

It's a bit sad that the response of some to North Korea flying missiles over Japan after threatening it with nuclear weapons is that it's just that evil Abe fear-mongering. I guess they'd rather the government not send out a warning and keep everyone uninformed.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Japanese government should be sued for scaring people and causing fear.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

720km in the atmosphere is not owned by Japan.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

The rocket could always fall ON Japan, be it in space or in any known sphere. As a proper government they ARE OBLIGED to issue a warning if the possibility of a threat exists. Please stick to the common sense while trying to battle imperialistic warmongering. Thanks.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

DPRK won't shoot at target unless they are put in a corner with no other way out than self-destruction with some of their arch rivals a.k.a. Trump&Co with them. KJU&Co know very well that their paradise will cease existing if they do. For domestic reasons, they are simply following a solid strategy to show that the big words from the West are taken back with the Supreme Leader's actions. And "fire and fury" gives an excellent excuse to do exactly that.

Instead of crying foul to Pyongyang, let's concentrate on convincing Trump&Co to listen to Rex Tillerson's broad views and act accordingly. The threat is the Japan's ally, not the enemy.

Just. Calm. Down.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Trump's security advisor even said that NK learned from the US invasions and bombing in Iraq and Lybia that giving in to US demands to disarm (which they did) only made it easier for the US to invade and subsequently have the leaders killed.

He has two choices.

Stop his weapons program like Gaddafi and Hussein did and be killed.

Keep developing weapons and have a chance of not being killed because a US invasion would be too costly.

What would you do if you were Kim?

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Burning BushToday  02:29 pm JST

The rocket flew twice as high as the International Space Station, way above Japanese airspace or should I say spacespace.

Foreign satellites, many of them Russian and Chinese pass over Japan every day.

Are you going to take cover every time a satellite flies abo

Well said.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Daniel NaumoffToday  07:43 pm JST

The rocket could always fall ON Japan, be it in space or in any known sphere. As a proper government they ARE OBLIGED to issue a warning if the possibility of a threat exists

No one ever said they were a "proper government".

0 ( +4 / -4 )

How many wake up calls do you need? This one came from Pyongyang, probably as much to impress the North Korean's in that city as to scare Japan. The point is, we missed it. When did we know? How soon did we know? Where was it stored? How many, and where are the others actually stored. Don't worry though, our intelligence agencies, drinking coffee in Vienna will get right on it....

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

These alerts are useless. Apparently even the last one, caused a Fatal Truck crash. During the latest event, the J. Govt didnt even know where the missile was... so why not they improve their analysis and determine if the missile is heading into Japan before issuing such an alert ?!

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Hoe about removing US military from Japan? There would be no reason to intimidate Japan by NK.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Everyone with half a brain knows that Kim has nothing to gain by stopping his weapons program. Sanctions are an act of economic war. They hurt the poorest people in NK.

The US says sanctions are to force NK to negotiate. Negotiate what? NK wants an assurance that they will not be attacked if they stop their weapons program and the US has refused to do that.

Who is being unreasonable?

I don't know the answer to this brinksmanship nonsense, but I think getting the US out of the equation can only help.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Hope that this ends really soon.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Cut off the main support from communist china and Russia first. The parasite North Korea will wither in a blink...

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The Japanese people can not hold the provocation and insult any longer from the North Korea... If you want peace, stand up and fight back to survive...The whole world will stand behind you...

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Everyone with half a brain knows that Kim has nothing to gain by stopping his weapons program. Sanctions are an act of economic war. They hurt the poorest people in NK.

The US says sanctions are to force NK to negotiate. Negotiate what? NK wants an assurance that they will not be attacked if they stop their weapons program and the US has refused to do that.

Who is being unreasonable?

I don't know the answer to this brinksmanship nonsense, but I think getting the US out of the equation can only help.

Get the US out of the equation? Look up the Korean war history. You do realise the only reason the US is in the equation (and that South Korea event exists instead of a Korea under the Kim family regime) is because of the CCPs and USSR's influence and support during the Korean war. There is about as much chance of getting the US out of it, as taking the white color out of rice.

The last time the neighboring countries kept trying to "help" NK's starving citizens, China kept "secretly" supporting them financially which helped embolden them to continue their nuclear weapons program, and not feed and help their people. It became a method of international blackmail. "Give us money, or we'll start openly working on our weapons program!" NK has had ample time to figure things out. They still chose the, " Give us money, or we'll continue our weapons program!!!" and they still kept it up regardless.

It's all about trust. NK has abused that trust to its last thread, and nobody trusts them. Just as nobody truly trusts the Chinese government (which also had ample time to not help Kim's regime) to fix a problem that they helped create in the first place.

Don't be naive, look at the situation and the probable outcomes based on the behavior of the people involved. The US has Trump in office as an unstable leadership figure. China believes that in order to become a "respected" superpower they should have majority influence and control over the region (The CCP somehow believes that it can control other countries like it can "control" their own people) and want NK regime's to stay as an unstable factor. as an "ally" against the US' presence in the area. Russia's government wants to get in on this too, because they also don't like US presence and influence in the region. And yet even Vietnam (Former US enemy that actually won their war against the US) has been cozying up to US influence compared to China's "gimme all your stuff" expansionism in the area. Why would Vietnam trust the US more than the CCP? Taiwan trusts the US more than the CCP. Hong Kong doesn't trust the CCP and despises the things that Beijing is doing to their society since the handover. And it also goes without saying, South Korea trusts the US more than the CCP.

So the question you should be figuring out the answer too is, "Why is the US still involved in the region." and "why do certain asian countries want to get involved".

North Korea keeps up it's weapons program, it will start making bigger demands and threat of firing WMDs while holding neighboring countries (like South Korea/Japan) "hostage". "If you don't want us to blow up or shoot at you, give us what we want...." Remember NK was the one that was kidnapping Japanese citizens. NK is the one that has people trying to escape the country. The more they improve, the more "hostages" they'll try to take. I know for a fact, with the way KJU's regime works, they will not suddenly become some peaceful, lala land because the US "disappears" from the area. they will work on attempting to get more power to themselves, until China's government gets tired of it and invades themselves and try to turn NK into China's territory "since ancient times....". Y'know... 100 year plan and all that.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

if its a nuke headed for japan, i doubt fleeing when you hear an alarm is going to help.

though it may be cynical, but its not that wild to believe that Abe would only have his own personal interest rather than all of Japan in mind at the time of crisis. and if it isnt really a crisis why not take advantage of it as if it was.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

"Why do certain Asian countries want the US to get involved" is what I meant.... no edit button.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Actually this Japan scaring Japanese people more than NK shooting in space.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Does N. Korea have Internet connectivity still ? Why not cut it and truly isolate them, and save ourselves from their Hacking.

I guess China is also doing their part by decreasing the value of "BitCoin"- a favorite for (among others) the N. Korean hackers.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

a populace in fear gives power to politicians

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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