South Korea Vow “Stern Response” After North Korea Ballistic Missile Flies 4,500km At A Speed Of Mach 17

Update (9:40pm): According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea’s intermediate-range ballistic missile flew ~4,500km with an apogee of ~970km, reaching a speed of Mach 17 before splashing in the Pacific ocean, some 2800 nautical miles east of Korea, having traveled above Japan. The JSC added that South Korea and US intelligence authorities are still analyzing more details.

South Korea also said that North Korea’s consecutive missile launch provocation strengthens South Korea-US alliance’s reaction capability and intensifies North Korea’s isolation from the international community.

South Korea slammed the North Korean ballistic missile launch, saying it deters peace and security of the Korean Peninsula and the international community, and it strongly condemns it as the launch is a clear breach of UN Security Council resolutions.

South Korea’s president also chimed in, vowing a “stern response” to North Korea’s missile launch.

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The Japanese government warned residents in some remote islands that are part of Tokyo as well as Hokkaido and Aomori prefectures to take shelter from a missile fired from North Korea.

〔Live streaming〕The Japanese government is warning that North Korea appears to have launched at least one ballistic missile. There’s a possibility it’s heading toward Japan. The government is urging everyone in the country to take shelter immediately.https://t.co/QbGNxw7brV

— NHK WORLD News (@NHKWORLD_News) October 3, 2022

“…Hokkaido Oshima Town Toshima Village Niijima Village Kozushima Village Miyake Village Mikurashima Village Hachijo Town Aogashima Village Ogasawara Village”

— Moshe Schwartz (@YWNReporter) October 3, 2022

North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile toward the east side, according to text message from South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.

According to a subsequent update from NHK, the missile appears to have flown over and past Japanese territory, and landed in the Pacific ocean.

JUST IN – North Korea fired a ballistic missile that flew over Japan. Missile alerts have been activated.pic.twitter.com/OvnoE1TWXL

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) October 3, 2022

It is unclear what response, if any, Japan will pursue.

The USDJPY dipped briefly on the news of the missile launch but has since rebounded.