Japan's North Korea Warning Would Be 10 Minutes, Max

Japanese government admits there wouldn't be much time to seek shelter
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 25, 2017 3:05 PM CDT
Japanese Are Getting Worried About North Korea's Bluster
In this April 15, 2017, photo, North Koreans wave as they march next to a float display of models of different missiles across Kim Il Sung Square.   (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

If the Japanese ever receive word that North Korea has launched a missile toward them, they better find shelter quickly—because the government estimates any warning will be 10 minutes at most, the Japan Times reports. The Japanese seem to be on edge in the wake of chatter that Pyongyang may be prepping for another nuclear test, despite warnings from the US and other countries, Time notes. This nervousness has led to a drastic uptick in people checking Japan's Cabinet Secretariat Civil Protection Portal Site, which offers info on what to do in case an attack: While the site saw just 450,000 views in March, it has hit 2.6 million views this month.

Under the national warning system, news of an impending strike would first be spread to local officials via phone, satellite, and the internet, followed by public warnings issued via cellphone alerts, PA systems, and emergency radio and TV broadcasts. Osaka's mayor notes that detection of a missile launch may be delayed, meaning residents may not have 10 minutes to find shelter, but more like four or five. North Korea, meanwhile, upped its saber rattling Tuesday with long-range artillery drills along its east coast, the New York Times reports. The event marked the founding of the nation's military 85 years ago, with the US and South Korea also carrying out military maneuvers. A North Korean state paper says the entire Korean Peninsula is being brought to the "verge of explosion." (A US guided-missile sub arrived in South Korea.)

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