TOKYO, August 24. /TASS/. North Korea carried out a space rocket launch, presumably with the goal of putting into the orbit its first reconnaissance satellite, Japanese coast guards said.
The launch took place at around 04:00 a.m. on Thursday local time (10:00 p.m. Wednesday Moscow time).
It triggered the J-Alert warning system. Residents of the Japan’s southern province of Okinawa were advised to take cover in buildings or underground shelters due to the danger of falling debris.
Approximately 15 minutes after the launch, the evacuation warning was cancelled as the rocket left the country’s airspace and continued its flight above the Pacific Ocean. Japan made no attempts to shoot down the rocket, although its missile defense systems were put on a combat-ready alert.
At the same time, local residents were warned to stay away from items that looked like potential rocket debris and immediately inform the authorities.
Later, the country’s NHK television said, citing the Okinawa prefecture police, that no damage caused by falling debris had been reported si far. Meanwhile, Japan’s Coast Guard informed that the launch did not affect plane flights or maritime traffic in the area.
NHK said that its correspondent managed to make a video of the flying rocket from a hotel on the border between North Korea and China. The video shows a tiny, barely visible glowing object moving across the dark sky.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokadzu Matsuno said his country had expressed via diplomatic channels its "resolute protest" over the launch, calling it a violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
Earlier this month, North Korea notified Japan about its plans to launch a space satellite between August 24 and August 31. Therefore, the blastoff took place on the first day of the designated launch window.
On May 31, North Korea attempted to launch its first military reconnaissance satellite. The Chollima-1 rocket carrying the Malligyong-1 military reconnaissance satellite fell into the Yellow Sea due to second-stage engine issues and fuel instability. The North Korean authorities announced plans to carry out another launch in the near future after troubleshooting the relevant issues.