TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has instructed to take necessary measures and get ready for unforeseen circumstances due to N...
TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has instructed to take necessary measures and get ready for unforeseen circumstances due to North Korea’s notification of its plans to launch a satellite between November 22 and December 1.
He said that Japan's defense systems, including the Aegis destroyers and PAC-3 air defense missiles, stood ready if any "unexpected situation" arises.
That said, the Japanese prime minister pointed out that the launch would violate resolutions by the UN Security Council.
"Even if the purpose is to launch a satellite, using ballistic missile technology is a violation of a series of United Nations Security Council resolutions," Kishida told journalists. "It is also a matter that greatly affects national security," he added.
According to the prime minister, Tokyo will continue to take all measures to gather and analyze information in cooperation with the US and in a trilateral format with the participation of South Korea.
Earlier, North Korea had notified the Japan Coast Guard of its plan to launch a satellite between November 22 and December 1.
On November 19, South Korea's Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said that North Korea could launch its first reconnaissance satellite within a week or by the end of November to beat South Korea, which is set to put its first military satellite into orbit on November 30. The first South Korean military satellite will be launched via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the US Vandenberg Space Force Base.
North Korea made two unsuccessful attempts to launch its first reconnaissance satellite in May and in August. Pyongyang announced a plan to make a third attempt in October, but it did not happen.
-NewsFeed
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