Global Courant 2023-05-29 15:36:56
STORY: Japan put its ballistic missile defenses on alert on Monday (May 29), warning it would shoot down any projectile that threatened its territory, after North Korea alerted it to a satellite launch between Wednesday, May 31 and 11 June.
North Korea says it has completed its first military spy satellite and leader Kim Jong-un has approved final preparations for launch.
Analysts say the satellite is part of a surveillance technology program that includes drones and aims to help nuclear-armed North Korea hit targets in the event of war.
Japan’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that it would use its Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) or Patriot Missile PAC-3 to destroy a North Korean missile.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters that such a launch would be a serious violation of UN Security Council resolutions condemning North Korea’s nuclear and missile activities.
South Korea also called on the North to cancel the planned launch.
And China’s foreign ministry called for dialogue to ease escalating tensions.
The withdrawn North Korea has conducted a series of missile launches and weapons tests in recent months, including a new intercontinental solid-fuel ballistic missile.
Japan expects Pyongyang to fire its satellite missile over the southwestern island chain as it did in 2016, a defense ministry spokesman said.
