First Exercise for Response to North Korean Missiles Held in Tokyo

On Monday, Tokyo held its first warning and evacuation drill in response to potential North Korean missile attacks. Participants, including volunteers, moved from their workplaces and homes to subway stations and other underground locations designated as shelters in the event of a missile strike. According to Reuters, 300 people participated in the evacuation drill, which took place at a baseball field and a nearby park. Meanwhile, a small group of protesters clashed with police, criticizing the drill for spreading fear among the public. Despite increased hopes that North Korea's participation in next month's Winter Olympics in South Korea might reduce regional tensions, Japan has expanded its efforts to prepare its citizens for a potential war. The Japanese government believes the threat from North Korean missiles and chemical weapons has become more serious. After the drill, a Japanese official told volunteers, "A missile from North Korea will reach Tokyo in less than 10 minutes, and the first warning we will receive will be three minutes after the missile is launched, so we will only have five minutes to find shelter." Similar drills have also been conducted in smaller towns and villages in Japan due to the ongoing development of North Korea's missile and nuclear programs. North Korea conducted its latest and largest nuclear test in September 2017 and has tested several ballistic missiles over the past year. In the most recent test in November 2017, a missile reached an altitude of 4,475 meters and traveled approximately 950 kilometers, landing in the Pacific Ocean west of Japan's exclusive economic zone after passing over Japan. Reuters notes that North Korea claims its weapons programs are a necessary measure against the potential occupation of the country by the U.S. Amid public concerns about the possibility of further missile launches by North Korea, Japan's national media broadcast a false alarm six days ago, urging people to go to shelters. Just a day before that event, a false alarm about a missile attack in Hawaii had caused widespread panic among the public. One participant in the Tokyo evacuation drill, a 50-year-old employee, stated, "I'm not too worried about North Korea, but if something happens, it will be really terrifying." He mentioned that these drills are not effective against a real attack and added, "If I'm at work, evacuation might be simple, but if I'm outside, it will definitely be more difficult." Japan's defensive weapons and equipment against ballistic missiles include a destroyer stationed in the Sea of Japan equipped with missile tracking and interception systems, and the PAC-3 missile defense system, which is the country's last line of defense and can target missiles in the air at several kilometers per second. Japan has also decided to purchase two surface-to-air missile systems and cruise missiles capable of targeting launch sites in North Korea.