The inhabitants of Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido were stricken with fear after receiving a J-alert evacuation order via the government’s emergency alert system on Thursday morning. The order urged people to take shelter due to a North Korean missile that could potentially land on or near the island. However, the alarm was lifted shortly after, leaving the residents perplexed and outraged as reports suggested that the missile would not hit the island. The Japanese officials confirmed that the missile fell in waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, outside Japanese territory.

Many Japanese citizens criticized the J-Alert system for being pointless, and one user questioned its usefulness by asking, “What is the use of the J-Alert, which warns of a missile falling when you do not know where it will fall?” The citizen further added that the evacuation order would be of no use, as it would not provide sufficient time to find shelter, even if the alert was warranted.

The Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary, Hirokazu Matsuno, defended the government’s response at a press conference in Tokyo on Thursday, although he admitted that the information issued by the J-Alert was not corrected. He justified the evacuation order as “appropriate” given the limited information available at the time.

North Korea fired a mid or longer-range ballistic missile from an area near Pyongyang, causing the alarm in Hokkaido. The missile, which South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff believes is a new ballistic missile, could be solid-fueled, making it easier to launch and move around. The missile traveled around 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) and was launched at a lofted trajectory. South Korean military officials suggest that North Korea may have been testing a part of a reconnaissance satellite.

This missile launch marks the 12th day this year when North Korea has fired at least one missile, indicating a significant act of provocation. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff have urged North Korea to stop its ballistic missile launches, which are in violation of the UN Security Council resolutions. The Chief Cabinet Secretary called North Korea’s actions an “outrageous act that escalates provocations against the entire international community.”