It said in a tweet that the missile could be a “ballistic missile”, according to the Japanese government.
At 8:23 a.m. local time, the Japan Coast Guard said a possible ballistic missile had already crashed into the sea. Invited all ships to watch for updates.
The Japanese government has also said it will ensure the safety of aircraft and ships.
The submarine missile test came after weeks of tensions on the Korean Peninsula, which saw growing cooperation between Pyongyang and Seoul, while at the same time seeing rising military courage. Last year, the country stepped up its weapons testing program, including launching what it said was a new hypersonic missile in late September.
Pyongyang is banned from testing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons under international law.
Kim praised military progress during his tenth year in office, but made no mention of South Korea or the United States, except for a brief note on policy directions for relations between Korea and foreign affairs.
Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, fired a missile, saying “North Korea is signaling that the Omicron variant or domestic food shortage will not stop its aggressive missile development.”
“This test shows that the Kim regime is ignoring the internal suffering. Instead of welcoming humanitarian aid, Pyongyang is further violating UN Security Council resolutions in ways worthy of sanctions,” he said.
This is a growing story. There are a lot to come.