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Updated 8.45pm
AN IRISHMAN LIVING in Japan has spoken about his shock at North Korea’s ballistic missile test, which saw a missile land in the Sea of Japan yesterday.
Speaking to RTÉ Radio 1′s Drivetime, Brendan Walsh – who lives on Japan’s Hokkaido Island – recalled receiving an emergency alert from the Japanese government which advised people to take cover.
“You get an alert from the government that says in English ‘emergency alert’ and then everything else is in Japanese.
“We get an emergency alert at two minutes past six and I just saw, trying my best to translate from Japanese, it looks like North Korea has launched a missile towards us.”
Walsh, from Maynooth in Co Kildare, said he initially thought the government was being over-cautious.
“I just assumed we were just a bit too close for comfort because we’re all aware that they often launch, the North Koreans launch missiles and they end up in the Sea of Japan quite regularly and we’re never too concerned about it. It’s a bit strange when it happens but we’re never concerned, so I assumed it was something like this.
So about two minutes later the next door neighbour calls in and says, ‘Brendan, we have to get out of here … That alert, it says that the North Koreans have launched a missile towards us’.
Walsh said he and his neighbour went to a nearby subway station because it’s underground.
He said his immediate concern was for his girlfriend, who’s in hospital.
“For me, my first concern was I need to get to my girlfriend because she’s a little bit ill at the moment…
“All I’m thinking is, she’s in hospital, she’s on the fourth floor, she’s got a drip in her arm, she’s quite weak, she can barely sit up straight at the moment, so are they just going to leave her there and run for it themselves?
“And that was the thought going through my head – that I need to get her and I need to get her out of the hospital.”
Walsh said he didn’t know why North Korea would “go near” Hokkaido, an island only slightly smaller than Ireland.
‘Deeply worried’
Earlier today, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said he was “deeply worried” about the ballistic missile test.
He condemned North Korea for “raising tensions and presenting a real threat to peace and security in the entire North East Asia region and beyond”.
It is an unacceptable and provocative violation of the DPRK’s international obligations not to conduct such tests and I unreservedly condemn such actions.
The actions of North Korea, officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), have been denounced by leaders in the region and around the world, with Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, calling the test a “an unprecedented, serious and grave threat”.
US President Donald Trump was famously vocal about North Korea’s actions in the run up to this latest test, controversially threatening to rain down “fire and fury” on North Korea if it endangered his country.
He said today that “all options are on the table” after the latest test.
The EU has also denounced the launch, calling it a “serious threat” to the region.
A spokeswoman for British Prime Minister Theresa May said that she was “outraged” by the launch.
Coveney called for North Korea to abandon its programmes to develop such ballistic missiles, as well as nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction.
In addition to the grave threat to lasting peace in the region, DPRK’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes absorb scarce resources, a detrimental impact on the lives of the North Korean people.
Drought in North Korea is currently threatening a famine in the country that experienced a devastating famine in the mid-1990s that estimates say killed as many as one million people.
The UN security council passed a new round of sanctions against the country earlier this month, imposing a ban on exports that seek to deprive it of $1 billion (about €850 million) in annual revenue.
“We reaffirm Ireland’s support for the international sanctions regime against North Korea, and urge the authorities in Pyongyang to re-engage with the Six Party Talks, immediately and without pre-conditions,” Coveney said.
- Additional reporting by Órla Ryan and © AFP 2017
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Simon is deeply worried
Simon is deeply concerned
What politician is going to be deeply what . next ?
@ballbreaker: Minister for Truly, Madly.
@ballbreaker: too much listening to savage garden I think… Fly him to the moon someone!
@Brown Boots: I was humming to Right Said Fred’s deeply dippy
Simon should just grow a pair and stop watching the media
@ballbreaker: will North Korea target the People’s Republic of Cork?
Minister Coveney stated that we should “Deploy the fleet” before being hurriedly ushered off stage.
@Tom: lol
@Tom: our only military ship is busy working as a taxi for migrants
@Tom: I feel such a huge sense of relief hearing that Mr Coveney is so outraged!
@Alt Left: we do have more than one ship you know.
@Piarais Mac Maoláin: brilliant
@Tom: Comment of the day!
@Piarais Mac Maoláin: N1
Coveney’s on fire.
North Korea’s missile defence system is terrified.
@Keelan O’neill: when will the the ANTI WAR movements start organising protests against north Korean regime. .!!
@Bobby wilson: They are saving theirs angst for whoever dares confront Commie Kims.
Simon Coveney was an utterly dismal failure as Minister for Housing.
Why is he still a minister?
(Actually why is he even a TD? He didn’t earn hhis seat. He just inherited his Dad’s)
a bit like kim jong un…..
@Colin Morris: True, he just about scraped enough preferences to be elected. He looks the part but lacks the qualities to be a minister although in fairness he is brilliant at telling lies.
@Colin Morris: he did nothing for the badgers either when he was Minister for people with tractors. Oh, dem culls are terrible and not very scientific but sure we’ll keep going with them anyway. Lot of outrage. Little in the way of doing.
In other news, Khaltmaagiin Battulga the president of Mongolia has expressed deep concern at the increase in homelessness in the Republic of Ireland.
Sinister Coveney during an interview on Morning Ireland made an impassioned plea that, “Measures are in place” for the island of Ireland should the world fall prey to a nuclear holocaust and that these measures would be fully implemented by July 31st 2018.
@Frank Cauldhame:
Will Iodine tablets be sent to all households again, I still have mine.
@Liam P Lally: “I would ask that anyone applying for iodine tablets would first be sure to visit our website, http://www.iodine-innit.ie, to find out which variant of iodine to use and the turnaround times for receiving same.”
@Frank Cauldhame: do you need a PSC ?
@lavbeer: Erm, its not compulsory but…..
@Liam P Lally: they have long passed their expiry date, another incredible waste of money by our government, I think FF were in power when they were sent to every house.
Maybe Team America was right and he’s just ronery and he’s crying out for attention.
@Barry O’Brien: he used to be bellicose you know. But that was 2016
Thank God we have a top of the range a missile deflector system in place.Those two army Cessna planes are on standby.Oh,and we have a few lads with rifles too.Ah sure we’re grand.
@gerry fallon: The problem is, Gerry, you would need pilots to fly those two planes.
Here’s an idea simon, how about worrying about the homeless, suicide, and hospital waiting lists in Ireland you muppet.
North Korea can wait.
@Trevor Hayden: but he sorted that by July didn’t he..
Most worthless and useless headline and statement that was ever written right there!!
@Nigel O’Neill: ___Why? It’s not unusual for politicians to make pronouncements about other countries’ actions. It provides a mechanism for a country to engage in discussing its national response and indeed, in some cases, actions. Or, perhaps you feel Ireland should not have that right?
In this same statement he also went full North Korea by encouraging the British government to discard the democratic decisions of the British people to leave the EU.
The poor thing. He must be very stressed. How about worrying about the lack of housing or something meaning to the country?
Eh, get your geography right, Journal.ie. The missile crossed Hokkaido and landed in the Pacific Ocean. The Sea of Japan lies between Japan and Korea, or, in other words, off the west coast of Hokkaido. The missile landed off the east coast of Hokkaido, the Pacific Ocean.
Kim Jong-un must be beside himself knowing Coveney is ‘deeply worried’. Stop the lights!
@TheoWolfe: There is no room beside him.
He was t deeply worried about the housing crisis when absconded over to foreign affairs.
I’m sure he’s cacking his jocks whilst mincing about on his holidays…….
Thank you for the comments, they have given me a great laugh.
Kim Jong Un should be fearful. The Skibbereen Eagle is watching.
He must have drawn the short straw when it came to the number of spaces available in the governments nuclear bunker.
deeply worried = must act and look worried..
deeply concerned = i’m in for some browny points….
We’re worried about what Coveney is up to every day, never mind North Korea every few weeks!
About time that they strap Kim Jong-un to a missile and launch him over the Sea of Japan.
Recklessly dangerous buffoon.
Does our wonderful government currently have the ability to reach out to the nation via txt message in the event of a national emergency or will the just rely on RTE and dobson ??
Joe 90 and the sound bites almost as bad as the strutting peacock with children’s socks.
Because Kim could give a flying F word about how Coveney feels…….
Good to see the minister talking a hard line
KIM WEE SON has not slept all night after he heard minister coffee is deeply concerned .
Im sure the little fat guy will go straight to the talks table when he reads how worried simple Simon is.
What a total total plum!!!
I am sure North Korea is upset. Simon, don’t be so silly.
What’s he deeply worried about. Not being leader of FG might be justified but North Korea
Idiot coveney. He’ll probably start blaming it for the Irish housing crisis next!
Why would Coveney be worried?. He will hardly have to fire any of his missiles at Kim Jon.
The Guy is a embarrassment a complete and utter tool .
LOL..As if Kim Jong Ding Dong would listen to this Clown.Coveney Get back to making a balls of your lame job at home..You fool..!
Updated with a completely different story lol!
OK so. there is only emergency alert written in English and the rest is Japanese! I admire Japan slot but this is a fail! I think 90% of the safe people are going to be Japanese and I can see why!
Simon friken Coveny.
Who the flip is he to skutter on?
North Korea must be shaking in their boots now that Coveny had said it’s unacceptable.
Our idiot politicians need to keep the gob shut.
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