Both countries later canceled those alerts when it became clear there was no danger to civilian areas from the North Korean launch. North Korea has performed dozens of ballistic missile tests over the past two years, which analysts have said have shown a maturation in the program. Both the South Korean and Japanese governments condemned the North Korean launch as a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. In Japan, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said Tokyo “vehemently protested” to North Korea. Japan’s Defense Ministry had warned on Monday it would destroy any North Korean missile that entered its territory after Pyongyang notified the country of plans to launch a “satellite.”

Source: The North Africa Journal May 31, 2023 15:30 UTC