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Japan threatens ‘destructive measures’ after North Korea warns of satellite launch
- Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday ‘strongly urged’ North Korea not to go ahead with a planned satellite launch
- The Japanese defence ministry said it ‘will take destructive measures’ against any projectile ‘confirmed to land in our territory’
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Japan aims to destroy any North Korean missile that violates its territory and is making preparations to do so, its defence ministry said on Monday after North Korea told Tokyo of a plan to launch a satellite between May 31 and June 11.
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Nuclear-armed North Korea says it has completed its first military spy satellite and leader Kim Jong-un has approved final preparations for a launch to place it in orbit.
Analysts say a military satellite would enhance North Korea’s surveillance capability and improve its ability to strike targets in the event of war.
“We will take destructive measures against ballistic and other missiles that are confirmed to land in our territory,” Japan’s defence ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said it would use its Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) or Patriot Missile PAC-3 to destroy a North Korean missile.
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