DPRK fired what seemed to be a space launch vehicle on Thursday, according to South Korea's military, marking the country's second effort this year following a failed launch in May.

The launch triggered emergency alerts in Japan shortly before 4 AM local time (1900 GMT) via the J-alert broadcasting system, advising inhabitants of Okinawa's southernmost prefecture to seek shelter inside. 

Earlier, the Japanese government claimed that DPRK launched a missile that flew above Japanese territory toward the Pacific Ocean, adding that an air raid warning was canceled.

"At 04:00 on August 24 (07:00 pm on August 23 GMT), a North Korean missile flew towards the Pacific Ocean. The previously announced call for evacuation is canceled," the government said in a statement.

Pyongyang communicated to Japan's coastguard Tuesday that it was preparing for another satellite launch. Tokyo and Seoul condemned the launch, with Seoul calling it "unlawful".

The DPRK's notice mentioned three maritime zones that could be affected by its launch: off the Korean Peninsula’s west coast, in the East China Sea, and east of the Philippine island of Luzon.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called on Pyongyang to abandon the launch, noting that Japan was collaborating with South Korea and the United States to gather more intelligence.

Kishida affirmed that Tokyo was taking "every conceivable precautionary measure to be ready for unforeseen circumstances."