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N Korea fires ballistic missile; Japan retracts take-cover alert

55 Comments
By HYUNG-JIN KIM and KIM TONG-HYUNG

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55 Comments
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I hate N. Korea. I feel for their people though.

9 ( +16 / -7 )

[ starts yawning ]

2 ( +6 / -4 )

North Korea criticizes joint military drills between the US and South Korea. So, they fire a missile towards Japan causing my train to stop for 30 minutes.

Logic.

15 ( +18 / -3 )

Good way to screw up the public transportation systems while everyone is busy confirming the situation.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

I hate N. Korea. I feel for their people though.

Maybe we should consider hating past global leadership and policies that got us to this terrible juncture?

Surely NK people have an equal amount of hate, probably more. Likely all this hate won't create any value.

Why not let us all find realistic ways to shift course, reduce hate, improve world? That means engagement, slow thaw with gradual trust building etc.

So why all these missile launches now? Lots of new technological capabilities from Russia, due to their proxy support of war in Ukraine. They need to both send a clear message and train their personnel.

It also has effect of diverting military resources and damaging societal confidence in general. Clearly, we're ALL on WRONG path, bad to worse - likely outcome.

-5 ( +7 / -12 )

Let's face it. This system is rubbish. In the event of a real missile strike, people will die and there's nothing that can be done about it. By the time the people in charge get their inkans and faxes in order, the damn missile would already have struck Sapporo!

-3 ( +20 / -23 )

J Gov always complaining, rightly so, about these missile tests & so freezes certain funds. But, if I'm not mistaken, the bulk of the Pachinko profits, which are mainly owned by the North Koreans, goes to NK. Can't understand why they don't put a stop to that. Profits in the billions from pachinko.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

"Take shelter!"? Are they joking? I've only got a table and desk (no room under the sofa) so I just yawned and carried on as usual. Assessing the risk, I decided I'd be in more danger out driving my car.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

the bulk of the Pachinko profits, which are mainly owned by the North Koreans

This is utter nonsense.

If it's not, prove it.

1 ( +9 / -8 )

In Hokkaido here. We just kept eating our breakfast.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

The missile didn't drop anywhere near Japan, it didn't even cross the EEZ line, at least the Korean definition of EEZ which is much more eastward than Japan's due to Korea's ownership of the Liancourt Rocks.

-8 ( +4 / -12 )

Better to hold military drills in the Japan Sea with the US than have any type of rapprochement with NK?

The last visit by a Japanese PM was in 2002

21 years ago and nothing since

It is a massive fail on the part of Japan

However, both Abe, Suga had, and the present incumbent, Kishida, had and have the resources of the hardworking taxpayers of Japan to remedy much of the animosity that is still present in North Korea

But no.

Keep the North Koreans goaded and prod them from time to time.

Keep the boogeyman alive and well

Politics at work…

-7 ( +5 / -12 )

I hope that the North will just continue to fire duds and not the real thing. I also fear that if such complacency builds up, we might not take little rocket man's fire works display seriously anymore until they fire one that is the real deal.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Little Rocket Man and his cockroach sister are at it again - spending billions on missiles crashing into the sea while the peasants of NK live in abject 3rd world poverty.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

"Take shelter"? Against an incoming missile strike?! I really hope the places they are taking shelter in are designated bunkers otherwise what's the point?

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

u_s__reamerToday  10:26 am JST

"Take shelter!"? Are they joking? I've only got a table and desk (no room under the sofa) so I just yawned and carried on as usual. Assessing the risk, I decided I'd be in more danger out driving my car.

Fair points, only most cars aren't potentially tipped with Russian state-of-the-art miniaturized nuclear warheads, are they?

Take your point, you've got no real ability to manage this risk, so why bother 'assessing' anyway, not actionable.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

North Korea definitely has a nuclear deterrent and more

Warts and all, the North Koreans don’t want to go the way of Cambodia, Vietnam, Libya, Iraq,Afghanistan, Nicaragua and many more…

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

purple_depressed_baconToday  11:14 am JST

"Take shelter"? Against an incoming missile strike?! I really hope the places they are taking shelter in are designated bunkers otherwise what's the point?

Yes, take shelter. Not from a nuclear strike as the missile is not armed, but from potential impact and falling debris. In which case being indoors or underground would make a difference.

This alarm is necessitated by North Korea not being nice enough to provide advance warning of it's launches, missile details and trajectotory.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Little kim testing his Hanabi for the summer festivals, I hope he and his generals will have enough bunkers and supplies to survive if and when that day comes.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

u_s__reamerToday  10:26 am JST

"Take shelter!"? Are they joking? I've only got a table and desk (no room under the sofa) so I just yawned and carried on as usual. Assessing the risk, I decided I'd be in more danger out driving my car.

FYI, recommend bathtub with mattress on top, maybe it'll buy you extra few minutes to 'assess'!

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

I just hope now that the Japanese populace will finally realize that their taxes really need to be sent into the coffers of privately owned corporations that make weapons and missiles and to pay for the kickbacks to the politicians and bureaucrats that enable the purchases.

Otherwise, you just don't fear enough for your own good.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

These twisted and neurotic exercises will one day (and I pray it NEVER comes) make a turn for the worst and land. GOJ needs to anticipate more and react less to these insolence maneuvers!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Japan, and indeed the rest of the free world is playing out a geopolitical version of a problem that people deal with on an individual level in their own personal lives. How do you deal with, or even try and talk to, an insane delusional megalomaniac toxic narcissist?

The answer is, you can't and you don’t You just stand back , keep your distance and try to ignore them, until of course they become a danger to themselves and those around you.

Then someone has to step in.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Easy to do….like this!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P5QpCaMHJjQ

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Why not let us all find realistic ways to shift course, reduce hate, improve world? That means engagement, slow thaw with gradual trust building etc.

Well, we can achieve anything we want. But, unfortunately, on a political level, those wants are driven by economical greed.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Oh,Did i miss something? zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Blaming Japan for North Korea is ridiculous.

If Japan had not annexed Korea in 1910 it would have been taken by Russia, and eventually become part of the USSR. So instead of a North and South Korea, we'd have have one unified penninsula that looks like today's North Korea.

If Russia and China had not backed Kim Il Sung in 1950, there would be no North Korea. The whole Korean penninsula would have been like South Korea.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Bravo people, it's never SO simple now is it?!

Japan, and indeed rest of free world is playing out a geopolitical version of a problem that people deal with on an individual level in their own personal lives. How do you deal with, or even try and talk to, an insane delusional megalomaniac toxic narcissist?

Name calling? So they're not integrated into global system. Certainly, he has right to defend his country, especially given their recent history.

It might not be OUR cup of tea, let's all try to find COMMON ground, COMMON values, COMMON interests, thaw things out, build trust rather than more DANGEROUS weapons, that's the BETTER pathway!

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

Especially since this Man has experienced SERIOUS weapons upgrades in the last year as a result of the proxy war in Ukraine and Russia's proliferation strategies!

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Clay, tell that to the guy in love with rockets, the same dude that can't even give electricity to his own people. If you find a way to talk to a madman, please let us all know. Singin koombayai aint gunna cut it.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

It was unclear why Japan issued the order for a missile that didn't fall near the island, but the incident suggested it was being cautious about North Korea's evolving missile threats.

Alarmists trying to cause confusion, uncertainity, and propagating propagandas. Or some dude was just busy sleeping at work, they thought they saw it heading for Japan, went on to press the alarm button.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

If you find a way to talk to a madman, please let us all know. Singin koombayai aint gunna cut it.

It's a PROCESS, must be win:win, every path and journey requires effort, time and the RIGHT mindset!

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

N Korea fires ballistic missile

And?

Just like the LDP, always in the news, nothing ever come of it. It'll just keep happening again and again.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

FFS, this is about Japanese someone in charge's paranoia.

Kim would be committing NK suicide with a preemptive missile strike on Japan. It just is not happening. Some dummy leader in Japan can't be this stupid scared, he has gotta have an agenda.

I'd include a 'she', but 'Zisu izu Japan'. No way a female was involved in this decision.

I take part of that back, Japanese 'leaders' can be stupid scared to the point of doing something this ridiculous.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Perhaps Japan can take the high ground and develop a positive relationship with Asian countries and stop asking the president of the United States for help with nearly anything international.

Fir todays issue it’s sad technology is so bad in the military that they can’t determine the trajectory.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Japan is an ideal country to make a preemptive strike on NK to eliminate all the missile threats from them.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

LPD rejoices every time there's a NK missile launch. Serves well to support their plans of re-militarizing Japan.

Missile alarms? Yes please, make them scary. Everything will be easier if people is afraid.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Fir todays issue it’s sad technology is so bad in the military that they can’t determine the trajectory

Depending on the type of missile, some have sophisticated guidance and control systems that would make all but the terminal phase trajectory near impossible to predict.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It's not going to be these so called "dictators" who start WWIII. Leaders who are incompetent are the most dangerous ones; not the ones who you think are dangerous, but the ones who you think are not dangerous, the ones who don't know what they're doing.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

That’s even overlapping and summing up, @quercetum

0 ( +0 / -0 )

So 6 towns and 20 villages starved to provide the fuel and resources for this latest launch.

Their Caring Leader!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

This alert has no reliability as ever, only incite social fear.

But that is convenient to warmonger ruling party LDP.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

koiwaicoffeeToday  05:06 pm JST

LPD rejoices every time there's a NK missile launch. Serves well to support their plans of re-militarizing Japan.

Complete nonsense. The US has been pressuring Japan under the LDP to re-militarize since 1950. We even forced them to create the JSDF in defiance of Article 9 which we shoved on them. The LDP has resisted US efforts for 70 years. But China has succeeded where the US has failed. Xie Xie!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Ossan,the American people do not care about the defense of Foreigners,when they will not even protect their children or themselves from gun violence,why would foreigner think otherwise

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Instead of all the usual anti-Japan government comments maybe this should be focused on the lunatic who keeps firing ballistic missiles into the sea. The Japanese have been extremely patient. Imagine if anyone fired a missile over China or Russia. All this has done is to confirm that the North Koreans are lunatics and the Japanese are educated with their reactions.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Clay in order for NK to launch a nuclear strike,they would first have detonate a miniature,and design a miniature implosion lens, even the Russian did not know how to explode a nuke,until the Rosenberg gave them an nuclear implosion lens

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Kim Jong Un wants attention. Ukraine and Taiwan are hogging the news cycle and he is feeling ignored. His people are starving to death and he needs to keep their attention focused on their mortal enemies instead of their empty stomachs.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Suspect in custody,he was an a Mass air national guard,how in the hell,do a weekend warrior get hold to national secret

0 ( +0 / -0 )

North Korea commonly test-launches missiles toward the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. All its past ICBM launches were made in the area, but on elevated trajectories to avoid neighboring countries.

A missile without a warhead fired on a very high trajectory that shows if straightened they could hit all of Japan and the US bases on Guam. The US and South Korea just finished their war games preparing for an invasion of the North, so this is the NK response. Nothing to panic about, just the usual toy soldiers game we are used to.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

South Korea should approach to North Korea in a constructive way to convince them to stop this nonsense activities. Eventually the 2 Koreans are relatives.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

There's never anything to panic about.... until there is!

Hence, world needs to wake up and solve these growing and long-term unresolved problems.

As it will come home to roost at some point, only a question of WHEN and HOW BAD?

Taiwan, Iran, Russia and CHINA to name a few, ditto!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Japan has a Missile Defense System, https://www.mod.go.jp/en/d_architecture/missile_defense/index.html seems that is not being used as it is too expensive against rocket kid toys, which are meant just to provoke, create news headlines.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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