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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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“…. the Catholic Church soon became suspicious ….”
No Kidding! Solves the problem of when that organisation sits up and takes notice! Anyway it should be a fascinating programme. And – not for the first time – it’s TG4 showing us what an excellent broadcaster it is.
Agreed. How is it that all the best documentaries, similar to this one, are broadcast in the Irish language?
@ Dexter TG4 is reviving my love of the Irish language that the Catholic Church tried to beat out of me! I think the RTE the lame .. main Broadcaster in Ireland wants to keep the Irish language a minority language. It’s TG4 that IS encouraging a revival.
Have to agree with you again Andrew.
It may be that TG4 are not controlled by the NornIron agenda, which the main station is
Apologies for the bad grammer
Not all Catholics see these visions but those who do can not deny what they have seen and experienced, and it greatly confirms their faith, good for them.
All it confirms is how gullible and prone to delusion people are.
Holy well in his bedroom…thats an original excuse for a bedwetter. Give him a holy medal.
You mean all these people who travel to the “House of Prayer” and allow Christina Gallagher live a luxury lifestyle?
Even more demented than Sean Quinn’s supporters!
Funny how it happens during bad times, a recession or depression. If a man says he talks to god daily, he may be put in a hospital and a priest is left untouched. There is no God, get over it and enjoy your life!
Stephen: I think people see these “apparations” during hard times because they need something to believe in; some hope for the future. I am open minded but I think are highly likely to be tricks of the mind – people will see what they want/need to see.
Stephen: I think people see these “apparations” during hard times because they need something to believe in; some hope for the future. I am open minded but I think are highly likely to be tricks of the mind – people will see what they want/need to see.
There was a mention in A Star Called Henry , I thought it was just Roddy Doyles imagination I never knew it was a true story !!
Great book, shame about the sequels.
Naturally the Catholic church wanted to get their foot in the door early
It should not be considered suprising that religious visions were reported in the RIC barracks it suggests that none of the constabulary were religious. The roots of Protestantism are in Catholiciism. Not all Catholics see these visions but those who do can not deny what they have seen and experienced and it greatly confirms their faith.
Bigoted too Tom?
The logic of a religious nut.
The roots of Catholicism is in the Roman Empire’s decision to adopt Christianity as opposed to Mitracism in the fifth century and the origins of Christianity are in Greek Paganism, Judaism, Mitracism, Zoastrianism, and even Hinduism.
All these ‘isms’ should be banned!
“Bless me father, for I have sinned, its been only six hours since I last smoked a British soldier.”
Say seven hail marys and have two done in by lunchtime, my child.
Heard you the first time.
It’s amazing the nonsense that people belived…and still do.
simple times, lack of education and powerful church, easy really to think how people fell for this superstitious stuff. We still have them today every hear of the house of prayer ?? but thankfully by and large ireland has moved on. Still a bit to go but getting there
It’s going to be several more generations I think.
In a country ubiquitously littered with crows and ungodliness among other infernal aspects, i struggle to fathom the veracity of this piece of documentary.
wha!!!
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