North Korea missile launch puts South Korea, Japan on high alert

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A rocket launched from North Korea early Wednesday morning put neighboring South Korea and Japan on high alert. 

South Korean media reported that the presidential office had convened a security meeting after the launch. 

FILE: This photo provided by the North Korean government shows what it says is a test of a rocket with the test satellite at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in North Korea on Dec. 18, 2022. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

The South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff on Wednesday did not immediately provide further flight details. 

Following the launch, officials in South Korea’s capital of Seoul sent alerts over public speakers and smartphones for residents to prepare for evacuation, but there were no immediate reports of damages or disruption.

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Officials later said the evacuation alert had been issued in error. 

Meanwhile, residents around Okinawa, Japan, were being advised to take shelter.  

While the precise purpose of the rocket launch remains unclear, it came after the North announced a plan to put its first military spy satellite into orbit to monitor U.S. joint military drills with South Korea. 

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Japan’s coast guard said Monday that North Korea informed it of a plan to launch a satellite between May 31 and June 11. The coast guard issued safety warnings for ships in the area on those dates due to the possible dangers of falling debris. 

A satellite launch by North Korea is a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban the country from using ballistic technology because it’s regarded as a cover for missile tests. 

North Korea placed Earth-observation satellites in orbit in 2012 and 2016, though their capabilities have been questioned. 

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Foreign experts have said those earlier satellites never transmitted imagery back to North Korea, and analysts say the new device displayed in state media in recent weeks appeared too small and crudely designed to process and transfer high-resolution imagery.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues, and much more.