By Yoonjung Seo and Emiko Jozuka | CNN
North Korea fired at least one ballistic missile on an apparent trajectory over Japan on Tuesday morning local time, according to regional officials.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the launch. According to a tweet posted by Japan’s Prime Minister’s office, the projectile is “believed to have launched” over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido — marking a potential escalation for North Korean missile launches.
The tweet urged people to take shelter inside a building or underground.
“The aforementioned missile is believed to have passed through the Pacific Ocean around 07:29 a.m. JST,” the premier’s office said in another tweet.
The same statement urged civilians in Japan “to not approach anything suspicious that is found and to immediately contact the police or fire department.”
According to CNN’s count, Tuesday’s launch marks North Korea’s 23rd missile launch this year, including both ballistic and cruise missiles.
However, launches over Japan are rare; the last time North Korea fired a ballistic missile over territorial Japan was on September 15, 2017, when the projectile flew over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.