North Korea launches space satellite, alerts sound in S.Korea, Japan

North Korea launched a so-called space satellite toward the south on Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, prompting emergency alarms and evacuation warnings in parts of South Korea and Japan.

Air raid sirens wailed over the South Korean capital of Seoul at around 6:32 a.m. (2132 GMT Tuesday) as the city issued a warning urging citizens to prepare for a potential evacuation.

The Japanese government issued an emergency warning early Wednesday through its J-Alert broadcasting system to residents of the southern prefecture of Okinawa, saying the missile had been fired from North Korea.

North Korea said it will launch its first military reconnaissance satellite between May 31 and June 11 to boost surveillance of US activities.

In data provided to international authorities, North Korea said the launch would carry the missile to the south, with various stages and other debris expected to fall over the Yellow Sea and into the Pacific Ocean.