North Korea fires suspected ballistic missile, Japan warns Hokkaido residents

The Japanese government early Thursday (April 13) urged residents in the northern Hokkaido region to take shelter after North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile. As per the Yonhap news agency, South Korea's military said that North Korea fired the missile toward the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.

Tokyo confirmed the launch, with the office of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida tweeting at 10.34 GMT that "North Korea launched what appears to be a ballistic missile."

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"Evacuate immediately. Evacuate immediately," the government said in a warning, telling residents of Hokkaido to take shelter in a building or underground and warning that the missile was expected to land around 8:00 am local time (23.00 GMT), according to a report by the news agency AFP.

However, not long after, the Asahikawa City in Hokkaido tweeted that there was no longer any concern of danger.

"After we confirmed the information, there is no possibility that the missile will fall on Hokkaido or areas around the region," the tweet, citing the national government's emergency network, read.

Thursday's incident comes as North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un called for strengthening the country's war deterrence in a "more practical and offensive" manner to counter what the country called moves of aggression by the United States.

Pyongyang has criticised the recent series of joint military exercises between the US and South Korea as escalating tensions, stepping up its weapons tests in recent months.

North Korea has claimed to have conducted three tests of underwater drones -- known as Haeil, which means tsunami in Korean -- in less than three weeks so far.

(With inputs from agencies)

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