TOKYO -- Japan failed to accurately predict the trajectory of North Korea's most recent ballistic missile test on Thursday morning because it disappeared from radar after launch, as increasingly advanced missiles complicate defense efforts.
Japan's Ministry of Defense saw a risk that the missile, launched at around 7:22 a.m., would land in the vicinity of the northern main island of Hokkaido, based on Self-Defense Force radar and other information. The Cabinet Secretariat issued an alert for the island about 30 minutes after launch.
