On Oct. 4, North Korea launched a missile that flew over Japan. The appearance of this missile gained the attention of residents in Tokyo, Japan and Washington D.C.

When residents received news of the missile, all were informed to seek shelter in buildings or underground. However, the missile landed in the Pacific Ocean after traveling 2,800 miles and caused no reported injuries. Fear struck the people as the sound of alarm bells paralleled North Korea’s intense missile launches in 2017. At the time, the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un was seemingly set on erupting conflict between North Korea and the U.S.

Japan, South Korea and the U.S. have all made public responses to the situation. Since the detection of conflict in 2017, the three countries have not performed a naval exercise together. Now, the U.S. and Japan have come together to help aid South Korea in making a prolonged response.

The United Nations Security Council forbids North Korea from testing weapons such as ballistic missiles. Launching ballistic missiles in the direction of other countries can lead to disputes, especially when done without warning. These launches may be interpreted as an ambush and can prohibit international standards. 

A comparison of evidence from 2017 has led experts to begin drawing predictions as to what may occur next. North Korea’s launch of the ballistic missile has raised suspicion of a possible nuclear test.