Japanese citizens were ordered to seek shelter.

This morning, the Japanese government issued a “J-Alert” through its national broadcast system, indicating a potentially severe event and urging citizens to seek shelter. The reason for this warning was a North Korean missile entering Japanese airspace. After flying over the country, the missile landed in the Pacific Ocean. No injuries or damage to property have been reported, though residents of Aomori and Hokkaido have been advised not to touch any debris that washes ashore.

Officials have begun an investigation into the precise intent of the missile, with representatives of the United States and South Korea assisting. While a deliberately aggressive act, no representatives of the North Korean government have stepped forward to offer a reason for the missile.

“North Korea’s actions threaten Japan and the international community,” a spokesperson of Japan’s government said in a statement. “Missile launches like this go against the U.N. resolutions. Japan will launch a strong protest against North Korea in light of this. All new information will be shared promptly.”

The US Government added that “the United States strongly condemns the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) dangerous and reckless decision to launch a long-range ballistic missile over Japan.”

Geopolitical analysts have expressed concern recently over the reckless behavior of North Korea, and the lack of response to efforts like sanctions to curb them. “There are no good options for [South Korean President] Yoon, Kishida, Biden to rein in Kim Jong Un,” Jeff Kingston, director of Asian Studies at Temple University Japan, told ABC News. “Sanctions and condemnation have failed to deter him and there is no good military option.”

“A unified front must be established that imposes sanctions on North Korea, as they did on Russia,” suggested Jaechun Kim, professor of international relations at South Korea’s Sogang University. “This is the only way to penalize North Korea for its bad behavior.”