The public broadcaster NHK issued an on-air apology after it mistakenly sent the alert to its website and to users of its app on Tuesday, APA reports quoting Sputnik.
The message received by mobile phone users at 6.55pm local time said: "NHK news alert. North Korea appears to have launched a missile. The government urges people to take shelter inside buildings or underground."
The error was corrected within minutes and the NHK spokesman said they're investigating what caused the mistake.