An X user has accused the Japanese government's official account of "engagement farming" after it posted an emergency alert about a suspected North Korean missile launch.
He pointed out that the account has used the same wording for earlier alerts that went viral.
The PM's Office of Japan (@JPN_PMO) posted: "[Emergency alert] North Korea has launched a suspected ballistic missile. More updates to follow."
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[Emergency alert] North Korea has launched a suspected ballistic missile. More updates to follow.
— PM's Office of Japan (@JPN_PMO) October 29, 2026
Nicholas Mugalli, a verified user on X (@RealNickMugalli), replied with the comment "Bro engagement farming..."
He attached a screenshot of a search of the account's posts for "north korea". It shows near-identical alerts dated March 14, August 20, September 20 and October 11, 2026, all with large numbers.
The September 20 post had about 12 million views and 61,000 likes, and the March 14 post about 10 million views and 57,000 likes. The August 20 post had 2.2 million views and the October 11 post 1.6 million.
The newest alert in the screenshot, only three minutes old, had 824 views.
"Engagement farming" is the practice of posting content mainly to maximise likes, replies and shares. Mugalli's remark implies that the government account benefits from the reach of a repeated, fear-driven message.
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The wording is, however, the PM's Office's standard first notice whenever Japan detects a suspected launch. Fuller instructions from the Prime Minister's cabinet usually follow in later posts.
The repetition reflects how often Pyongyang is testing missiles this year. SBS News, citing Japanese government figures, counted the October 12 launch as North Korea's 16th ballistic missile launch of 2026. It came nine days after another launch.
The recent launches have come amid heightened tension on the peninsula. In September, a landmine blast in the Demilitarized Zone injured three South Korean soldiers, and North Korea denied responsibility.
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South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said a missile fired from Wonsan on October 3 flew more than 700 km. Japan's alerts have often drawn global attention. The September 20 post alone passed 10 million views.
Japan's government and South Korea's military usually follow initial alerts with details of the trajectory, range and whether the missile entered Japan's exclusive economic zone.
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