Japan threatens to shoot down any North Korean missile that enters its territory

Japan has threatened to shoot down any projectiles that pose a risk to its territory after North Korea signaled its intention to launch its first military reconnaissance satellite within the next two weeks.

Japan’s defense ministry said Monday it had put its ballistic missile defenses on alert after a rare notification through the International Maritime Organization about Pyongyang’s plans for a satellite launch between May 31 and June 11 was “disastrous”. was preparing measures”.

North Korea last month claimed to have completed work on its first military reconnaissance satellite, as leader Kim Jong Un laid out the breadth and sophistication of his country’s weapons programmes.

An operational spy satellite would strengthen North Korea’s ability to launch pre-emptive strikes as well as monitor potential threats from the US and South Korea.

Kim visited North Korea’s space agency earlier this month to approve plans for the launch of the satellite. During the visit, which coincided with large-scale aerial exercises with the United States and South Korea, he claimed that the reconnaissance satellite program was defensive in nature.

Kim said North Korea would “exercise its sovereignty and right of self-defense” in response to “confrontational moves” from Washington and Seoul, state media reported at the time.

North Korea had previously successfully launched two satellites, the last in 2016, which it said were for “Earth observation” operations.

Japan’s Defense Ministry warned on Monday that it would use its Standard Missile-3 or Patriot Missile PAC-3 to shoot down North Korean missiles or debris if they entered Japanese territory. The launch trajectory could cover the Yellow Sea in the Philippines, the East China Sea and the waters east of Luzon Island.

The US, Japan and South Korea say any satellite launch using ballistic missile technology would violate several UN Security Council resolutions banning Pyongyang’s ballistic missile tests.

In a joint statement, the three countries’ nuclear envoys warned that if North Korea “proceeds with the launch, there will be a strong, unified response from the international community”.

North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan for the first time since 2017 in October, triggering an emergency public alert. Last month, a North Korean missile triggered an evacuation order on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the satellite launch would violate UN Security Council resolutions. “Even if it is labeled as a satellite, we consider a launch using ballistic missile technology . . . as a serious issue for public safety,” he said.

Kishida said he was prepared to meet Kim in person, and said Tokyo would work closely with Washington and Seoul to defuse tensions with Pyongyang.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno confirmed earlier this month that Tokyo and Seoul were working through their mutual ally the US to share real-time data on North Korean missile launches.

Japan has threatened to shoot down any projectiles that pose a risk to its territory after North Korea signaled its intention to launch its first military reconnaissance satellite within the next two weeks.

Japan’s defense ministry said Monday it had put its ballistic missile defenses on alert after a rare notification through the International Maritime Organization about Pyongyang’s plans for a satellite launch between May 31 and June 11 was “disastrous”. was preparing measures”.

North Korea last month claimed to have completed work on its first military reconnaissance satellite, as leader Kim Jong Un laid out the breadth and sophistication of his country’s weapons programmes.

An operational spy satellite would strengthen North Korea’s ability to launch pre-emptive strikes as well as monitor potential threats from the US and South Korea.

Kim visited North Korea’s space agency earlier this month to approve plans for the launch of the satellite. During the visit, which coincided with large-scale aerial exercises with the United States and South Korea, he claimed that the reconnaissance satellite program was defensive in nature.

Kim said North Korea would “exercise its sovereignty and right of self-defense” in response to “confrontational moves” from Washington and Seoul, state media reported at the time.

North Korea had previously successfully launched two satellites, the last in 2016, which it said were for “Earth observation” operations.

Japan’s Defense Ministry warned on Monday that it would use its Standard Missile-3 or Patriot Missile PAC-3 to shoot down North Korean missiles or debris if they entered Japanese territory. The launch trajectory could cover the Yellow Sea in the Philippines, the East China Sea and the waters east of Luzon Island.

The US, Japan and South Korea say any satellite launch using ballistic missile technology would violate several UN Security Council resolutions banning Pyongyang’s ballistic missile tests.

In a joint statement, the three countries’ nuclear envoys warned that if North Korea “proceeds with the launch, there will be a strong, unified response from the international community”.

North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan for the first time since 2017 in October, triggering an emergency public alert. Last month, a North Korean missile triggered an evacuation order on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the satellite launch would violate UN Security Council resolutions. “Even if it is labeled as a satellite, we consider a launch using ballistic missile technology . . . as a serious issue for public safety,” he said.

Kishida said he was prepared to meet Kim in person, and said Tokyo would work closely with Washington and Seoul to defuse tensions with Pyongyang.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno confirmed earlier this month that Tokyo and Seoul were working through their mutual ally the US to share real-time data on North Korean missile launches.