Japan broadcaster sends false North Korea missile alert

Tokyo (CNN) Japanese national broadcaster NHK issued an on-air apology Tuesday after issuing an alert incorrectly claiming that North Korea had launched a ballistic missile.

The message, received by phone users with the NHK app installed on their devices, read: "NHK news alert. North Korea likely to have launched missile. The government J alert: evacuate inside the building or underground. "

The broadcaster apologized for the error, adding "the news alert sent earlier about NK missile was a mistake. No government J alert was issued." The mistake was corrected within minutes.

A screengrab of the errant NHK alerts

The false alert came on the same day as the US and Canada planned to host talks in Vancouver over the crisis on the Korean Peninsula after a year of missile tests and threats from the North.

The subject of sanctions on North Korea is expected to be on the agenda, as well as the country's participation in next month's Winter Olympics in South Korea.